Accidents
by ttfan111robstar1
Summary: During a very stressful day, Mokuba wets the bed. Seto makes him feel better, but the problem persists. What began with one accident will end with a journey that will bring both brothers together like never before. Rated T for infantilism. Now a multi-chapter fic.
1. Accidents

Seto Kaiba consistently found himself up at all hours of the night. He thought it wasn't unusual for someone in his line of work. after all, running a company took a lot of time and energy. Tonight he was on the computer in his study, working on a few documents he needed to finish by the end of the week. When he looked down at the clock he saw it was already 1:15 in the morning. He had started working shortly after ten, when Mokuba had gone to bed. Had it really been three hours already? With a sigh, he decided to pack it in for the night. The rest could wait until tomorrow. He shut down his laptop and closed it with a satisfying smack. He plugged in into its charger, and locked the study door on his way out.

He was going to go to his bedroom when he stopped at Mokuba's door. He decided to check in on his brother before going to bed himself. Very carefully, he opened up the door, wincing as it creaked, and quietly stepped inside. The dim lighting of the hallway illuminated his brother's sleeping form as he tiptoed over to him. He smiled when he saw Mokuba sucking his thumb. His brother had stopped doing that in the daytime years ago, but Seto doubted he knew he was doing it now. The only reason he even knew about it was because of his tendencies to look in on his brother. He sat down beside him for a few minutes, just to watch him dream. He himself had lost his innocence and naivety a long time ago. He was glad his brother still kept his. There was a smaller bear laying beside him on the bed. It was very old and worn, but it was Mokuba's most prized possession. It was the last present their biological father had given him before he had died in a car crash. His little brother never slept without it, and never allowed it to be washed. At some places it seemed to be falling apart, but it wasn't moved much, so it didn't really matter. After a few more minutes he carefully crept out of the room and gently shut the door before retiring to his own bedroom and falling into an exhausted sleep.

The next day Kaiba was busy hopping between board meetings and getting presentations ready. He was in his office when there was a loud knock and Hobson, one of the servants at the manor, burst inside.

"This had better be important!" He said, slamming his hands on his desk.

"It's your brother, sir."

That stopped him dead in his tracks. His heart began to race inside of his chest.

"What is it?"

"That's the problem, sir. We don't know. Your brother is crying too hard to tell us. He's already thrown up twice, and we've tried everything we can think of to get him to stop. We didn't want to disturb you, sir. But we didn't have any other options."

"Very well." He said, quietly. He was quick to hop into the limo awaiting him outside and race home.

When he arrived at the manor he could hear the sobbing coming through the open windows. It drove a stake through his heart to hear it and he ran inside. He followed the cries to his brother's bedroom, where at least six people were clustered around him, trying to calm him down- and failing. He cleared his throat and every face in the room turned to him. Instantly, the clustered adults backed away quickly and filed out of the room, leaving only a crying Mokuba who was sitting on the floor clearly crushed. He hadn't even looked up to see that his big brother was there.

"Mokuba." He said, quietly, trying not to frighten him. Despite his efforts, Mokuba still jumped. Seto walked over to him and sat beside him. His little brother was so wound up that he was taking gasping breaths as he cried.

"What's the matter? What happened?" He didn't know how he still managed to be so calm when deep inside he was panicking. Mokuba pointed under his bed. Seto looked to see a box that hadn't been there before. He pulled it out to see his little brother's bear in pieces, stuffing coming out of every possible end. Now he understood why his brother was crying. The bear couldn't be fixed unless all the pieces were there, and not all of them were. If he had to guess, Seto figured that he was the only one who Mokuba felt would understand why he was so heartbroken. He pulled his little brother to him.

"Shhhhh. It's alright. It's going to be okay."

Mokuba knew his big brother was trying, but it was no use. He was too wound up to calm down. Seto had an idea and took his brother's hand, guiding his thumb into his mouth. Mokuba was surprised, but began sucking anyways. Quickly, his cries diminished into whimpers. Seto gave his brother a hug, stroking his hair soothingly. Thankfully he was starting to calm down. Soon, his whimpers had become hiccups, and the tears had stopped falling.

"Better?" Asked Seto, hopefully. Mokuba nodded, not taking his thumb from his mouth. He moved and settled his head in his brother's lap. He was so tired. All that crying had drained his energy away. He wanted to take a nap, but was afraid of napping without his bear. He looked up at his brother who was smiling at him. His fear melted away, and he quickly fell asleep.

Seto, afraid of waking his little brother, stayed as still as possible. An hour passed with no activity. The staff of the manor knew better than to disturb them, so they shut the door quietly. As much as Seto wanted to be working, he knew he was needed here. Some more time passed, when Seto suddenly smelt something in the air. The odor was unmistakable. He looked over to see that his brother had wet the bed- or rather the carpet in this case. For a minute he was too shocked to do anything. His brother hadn't wet the bed since they were in the orphanage. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the loss of his bear had obviously caused some emotional stress that manifested itself in bed wetting. But now it was up to Seto to figure out how to deal with it. He didn't have long to devise a strategy. His brother awoke shortly after.

Rubbing his eyes with his free hand, Mokuba sat up, confused as to how he got on the floor. Seeing his brother there jogged his memory some, and he was less fog headed. But something wasn't quite right. He looked down to see the discoloration on his pants. For a minute, he couldn't process what he was seeing. Then when it hit, he looked at his brother, eyes filled with tears of shame. Seto put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"It's okay, Mokuba." He said, quietly. His little brother refused to meet his gaze.

"No it's not." He whispered sadly. Seto wrapped his brother in a hug.

"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up." He stood up and offered him his hand. Mokuba took it and got up himself. Seto left the room so his brother could change, and hoped he would be alright. When the door opened again, Mokuba refused to meet his brother's gaze. Seto moved to sit on his brother's bed and pulled him into his lap like a father would his son. He knew what he had to do. He hated sharing emotions with every fiber of his being and had almost no experience in giving pep talks, but this was a dire situation, and his little brother needed him.

"Mokie, it's okay. I know you didn't do it on purpose. I don't blame you or think less of you because of it. Accidents happen, and that's okay. That's just a part of life."

Hearing the nickname that had gone unused for So many years had instantly grabbed Mokuba's attention. His brother's words sank in, and he finally smiled and gave him a hug.

"Thanks big brother." He said, blushing. Seto smiled.

"Always."

 **Author's Note: I may continue with this plot line and make this multi-chapter, but that all depends on if you guys want it to! So please make your voice heard and review! Thank you!**


	2. Problems

**Author's Note: Well folks, you asked and I answered. Enjoy this new chapter. Lyrics included are from "You'll be in my heart" by Phil Collins.**

Seto knew he was in for one hell of a ride later that evening. He knew Mokuba would put up a fight when it came to going to bed that evening- not just because of his earlier bed wetting, but because his bear wasn't fit to sleep with. Seto had sworn to get it patched up as soon as possible, but he knew that might take time he didn't have- even if he rush ordered it. He knew he had to have a game plan, but trying to come up with one after a hectic day like this one seemed almost impossible. His brain was fried, but he knew he couldn't give up. He decided to make a point of spending as much time with his brother as he could spare, despite the earlier events of the day putting him behind at work. Some things were just more important.

When the time rolled around to 9:30, Seto had his brother start preparing for bed. He made sure to be there every step of the way to show him that he wasn't alone. He even tucked Mokuba into bed and read him a story in hopes of getting him to sleep. When Seto tried to leave, his brother started to cry. When that didn't work, he started singing to him.

"Come stop your crying  
It will be alright.  
Just take my hand,  
Hold it tight.  
I will protect you  
From all around you.  
I will be here,  
Don't you cry..."

By the end of the song, Mokuba was asleep. In perhaps the most tender act of love he had ever performed, he gently pressed a kiss to his little brother's forehead before leaving and gently shutting the door behind him. Now that the hardest part of the day was behind him, he hoped to get some work done. He sat at his desk and started typing on his laptop, checking stock prices, updating documents, and reviewing presentations. A few hours passed, and all was quiet in the manor. Although he had to admit that every few minutes he kept looking up, expecting Mokuba to appear in the doorway. When he finally started really getting into the swing of things, a sound like the coo of a dove tore his eyes away from his computer screen.

There stood Mokuba, thumb in his mouth and pajama bottoms soaked. Seto stifled the urge to sigh and roll his eyes at the incident. He knew his brother must have been feeling embarrassed, and he knew he would be kicking himself constantly if he made the situation any worse. He looked at his brother kindly and held his free hand as he led him back to his room. To Seto, it was like his brother was three years old again. As Mokuba changed, his brother stripped the bed of its sheets and took them to the laundry room before getting a new set from the linen closet and remaking the bed. Mokuba climbed in, obviously embarrassed, but not as much as he was the first time it happened. He had anticipated this subconsciously. Seto had made sure to put a towel under his brother, just in case it happened again (even though he doubted it would happen twice in one night) and reassured his brother that it was okay, that he understood it wasn't his fault, and that he didn't mind the mess. As long as Mokuba was safe, that was all that mattered to him.

He stayed beside his brother until he fell asleep again before leaving, working for one more hour, and then going to bed himself.

He greeted the next day with an uncharacteristic amount of optimism. He was absolutely positive that today could not be any worse than yesterday. When he went into the dining room he saw that Mokuba wasn't there yet and assumed he was still asleep. He decided to go wake him up personally. When he peeked inside he saw his brother huddled at the top of the bed, crying as he looked at the towel on the bed and the wet pajama bottoms and underwear he had changed out of. Although Seto could not quite see it for himself, he figured out what had happened easily enough. This was beginning to cause some problems, and something had to be done. But first things first: comforting his little brother.

Seto sauntered into the room and watched Mokuba turn to look at him, clearly ashamed. He sniffled pitifully, and it broke Seto's heart to see him that way. His brother reached up to him and Seto easily plucked him up from his bed, walking around the room with him like he had when Mokuba had been a baby in hopes of calming him down. He noticed Mokuba hadn't stopped sucking his thumb since yesterday and hoped that he wouldn't pick it up as a habit. If he did, that would be yet another thing to put on his endless list of things to worry about. But he refused to start thinking about that now. He just wanted his brother to feel better, and if this helped him do that, then fine. After a few minutes of walking around the room, Mokuba had calmed down and laid his head on his brother's shoulder sleepily. To say he was tired was an understatement. Seto noticed this and gently bounced him up and down. It didn't help much. Seto sat down on the bed and set his little brother in his lap.

"Are you okay?" He asked, rubbing circles on his back. Mokuba looked down, clearly disappointed.

"I guess so." Seto waited, for there seemed to be more to what he wanted to say. "I just thought this was over and it wouldn't happen ever again. But now it happened three times! What do I do, big brother?" Mokuba looked at him, eyes pleading for an answer. Seto ruffled his hair reassuringly.

"I don't know yet, but I'll think of something." He promised. Mokuba nodded and wiped his nose with his sleeve. Seto put an arm around him. "Ready for breakfast?" He asked. Mokuba nodded, looking slightly happier. Seto smiled as he walked with his brother to the dining room.

After breakfast Seto walked his brother to school before going to work himself. He spent the first part of his day making up for all the lost time yesterday. When he felt like he had caught up and finished some of that days work, he took a lunch break and spent it researching his brother's problem, searching for answers. As far as he could tell, his initial assumption that stress was the root of the problem seemed to be confirmed. He hoped that having his bear back would mean the end of the problem, but he had a gut feeling that this was far more complex than that. The bear was certainly the trigger, but could this problem be a symptom of something greater? He didn't know. And that was something he hated. For now though, he needed to focus on a solution for the current problem. There was, of course, one answer that kept coming up over and over again, but he didn't want to go there unless he was desperate. However, the other options required medical sign offs and he didn't want to go through that because not only would it be too much work for a temporary problem, but it could become public, and the last thing he needed was a scandal on his hands.

It seemed as if he had no other option.

He called up one of his servants and had them pick up a package of diapers in the most nondescript car they had access to. As he was being driven home from work that day, Seto knew this was going to be one of the hardest things he'd ever done, but it was something he knew he needed to do. He could only hope that in doing so it wouldn't drive his brother away like he feared it would.


	3. Solutions

**Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, guys! I had a really busy day today, but I promise I didn't forget you all! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Seto had spent all day thinking of different ways to break the news to his little brother, but every idea he had fell short of what he was hoping for in terms of getting a decent reaction. He had never been well versed in fear or cowardice, but now was his chance to learn. He knew for a fact that he had never been so afraid of somebody's reaction in his entire life. But the deed was done, and there was no turning back now. He made sure to get home early from work so that he could talk to Mokuba when he got home from school. As the minutes passed on, he began to grow anxious- an emotion he despised. He just wanted this to be over as quickly as possible. When the doors opened to signal Mokuba's arrival home from school, Seto's heart skipped a beat. He liked to think he was always prepared for anything, but this was way out of his comfort zone.

The door opened, and his heart leapt into his throat.

"Hey, bro!" He said, crawling into his big brother's lap and giving him a hug. He could tell by the look on his brother's face that something was amiss. He frowned. "What's up?"

He tried to make his voice as gentle as possible. "I want to talk to you about a solution to our problem." Mokuba's face grew serious.

"Oh."

"I don't want you to feel embarrassed about this. I know you can't control it. This isn't your fault at all, and I just want to make sure you're comfortable again." His brother nodded.

"How are you gonna do that?"

"Look under the bed."

When he did, Mokuba's face turned beet red, and he started to cry. Although Seto had tried to prepare himself for the look on his face, he could never have imagined how awful it would really be for him. He moved to put two hands on his brother's shoulders and looked him right in the eye.

"I know you're not a baby. I know this probably isn't the solution you were hoping for, and I'm sorry about that. But for right now it's the best thing I can think to do. And it's only for when you're sleeping. I know you're embarrassed about this, but that's okay. I don't think of you any differently because of it. I know you can handle this. I trust you."

This seemed to be the right thing to say, and Mokuba quickly calmed down. He wiped his eyes, sniffling.

"Okay. I'll try it." The proud smile his big brother gave him almost made it worth it.

Almost.

Mokuba yawned, and Seto smiled. "Do you want to take a nap?" He asked, gently. Mokuba nodded and shut his eyes, thumb sneaking it's way into his mouth. Seto took the opportunity to change his brother, in hopes that it wouldn't be as embarrassing for him if he wasn't awake to see it done. When he finished, he tucked his brother into bed and quietly left the room, looking back at him only once before shutting the door with a smile.

Now that the worst was over, Seto hoped to get back a little more of his focus so that he could catch up with his ever-growing duties at work. He had a sandwich brought to him in his study as he critiqued one employees idea and tried to figure out how to make it better suit his purposes. His mind quickly conjured up an answer and he spent the next few hours fixing it. Every so often his eyes would wander to the door as he wondered how his little brother was faring.

When Mokuba awoke to the dim light of the sun getting ready to set, the first thing he noticed was that his sheets were dry. Yes! He had done it! He double checked the covers and was indeed correct. When he went to sit up, however, he heard a crinkling sound, and looked to see that he was indeed wearing a diaper under his pants. And, now that he was thinking about it, his diaper was very wet. His eyes welled up with tears of frustration and anger. Here he thought he had done so well, only to have that small bit of self esteem crushed in a matter of seconds. He wanted to keep crying in private, but his diaper was growing more uncomfortable by the second, and he knew he needed to be changed. Thumb firmly in his mouth, he set out to find his big brother.

Kaiba had almost completely finished his work when he heard a timid knock at his door.

"Come in." He said, and watched the door open.

There stood his little brother, thumb in his mouth, eyes red and socketed from weeping, with distress written all over his face. Kaiba all but ran to Mokuba and knelt down in front of him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his tone masking his inner panic. Mokuba looked down sadly, and then looked up at his brother again. The innocent and pleading look on his face told Seto all he needed to know. "Come on," he said, gently pulling him forward. "Let's get you changed." Mokuba followed reluctantly. The shame he felt was pure and undiluted as it washed over him. There was no escape from the embarrassment of being changed now. He felt powerless to help himself. All he could do was suck on his thumb to try and keep from crying. Even so, a few stray tears streamed down his face. Seto was not unaware of this, and swore to himself that he was going to make this as painless an experience as possible.

When they got to Mokuba's bedroom, Seto closed the door while his brother climbed up onto the bed and laid down, not bothering to fight what was inevitably going to happen anymore. Seto used this to his full advantage and started changing his brother. Quicker than either of them expected, it was over. Seto made sure to take the time after it was done to praise him for the good job he'd done. The first awkward changing was behind them now. It would only get easier from there on out.

At least, he hoped that it would.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. Dinner went uninterrupted and flowed effortlessly into a wind-down atmosphere. Seto saw his brother had nodded off in front of the TV, only then realizing that it was two hours past his bedtime. He scooped him up into his arms and carried him to his room. He changed him into his diaper and pajamas before tucking him into bed. Exhausted himself from his earlier stress, he decided to retire early tonight and quickly fell asleep in his own bed.


	4. Restored

Seto had very high hopes for the day to come. Word had come early that morning that Mokuba's bear had been successfully patched up, so he was hoping that having his bear back would put an end to their current predicament. He had Hobson pick it up while he was at work that morning. At around noon, his phone buzzed and he was told that the bear was back in its place. Following that announcement, Kaiba was able to relax a little more at work. Thinking of the smile on his little brother's face gave him the motivation he needed to get his work done early that day.

When the work day was finally over, he raced home in hopes of getting there just before his brother so that he could see the look on his face when he finally got his beloved bear back. He got lucky and arrived a narrow two minutes before his brother did. Mokuba dropped his bag at the front door and saw his brother sitting on the couch. His face lit up instantly and he ran up to Seto, leaping onto the sofa. He crawled over to him and gave him a hug.

"Hey, big brother." He said, happily.

"How was your day?" Asked Seto, smiling.

"It was good. How about yours?"

"Busy as usual." He replied, detached from the small talk. He couldn't help the excitement that was building up inside of him, even though he kept a straight face. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "I have a surprise for you." Somehow, Mokuba brightened even more.

"Really? What is it?"

"Why don't you come with me and find out?"

"Okay!"

He followed his big brother to his own bedroom. They stopped at the closed door.

"Open it."

Mokuba opened the door to see his bear sitting on his bed. He gasped happily and ran to hug his stuffed animal. But as he was doing so a moment later, he frowned and looked at the bear, puzzled.

"What's the matter?" Asked Seto, stepping forward.

"Beary doesn't smell right."

Kaiba swore he would track down the person he'd hired to repair the bear. He'd specifically told them not to wash it. There would be hell to pay when this was over. He could see Mokuba starting to get upset, so he quickly made his way over to his brother.

"Maybe we can fix that. What did he smell like before?"

"Like toothpaste and sweat and tears and... Home." He said, eyes welling up with tears. Seto wrapped his arms around his little brother, who crawled into his lap. It was in times like these that he felt like more of a parent than a brother to Mokuba. He could feel hot tears seeping through his shirt and felt him beginning to shake. He knew that that bear was his little brother's last connection to the home they had once shared with their father. And although so many years had passed since then, the scent of home had never quite left the bear's fur. Now that it had been erased, he couldn't picture the anguish his brother must have been feeling. Although Seto believed in forgetting the past and looking to the future, he knew his brother did not feel the same. He believed in using the past to make a better future, so to lose the connection to a piece of his past was devastating.

Seto scooped Mokuba into his arms, hushing him and settling him on his hip like a small child. He started rubbing circles on his back and walking around the room in hopes of calming him down a little bit. It worked some, but not as much as he was hoping. When his arms started to get tired, he sat back down on the bed and pulled his brother close to his chest. Mokuba stopped crying a little more as he listened to the steady beating of his brother's heart. Seto picked up the bear and set it in front of his brother. Mokuba pushed it away, but Seto put it right back where it was. He chose his words carefully and spoke them as softly and gently as he could manage.

"Just because he doesn't smell the same doesn't mean the memories you share with him are gone. He's still the same bear that's been with you through it all- he just smells a little different. But I know you can fix that. It'll just take some time is all. So don't give up yet, okay?"

Mokuba gave him a hug, and then pulled his bear into a tight embrace. Seto was relieved. He watched his brother stick his thumb in his mouth as he cuddled the bear. He could have started worrying about the thumb sucking habit then, but chose to push it off to the side for now and let the happiness of his brother color his own emotions.

The rest of the day progressed normally, with the exception of Mokuba bringing his bear everywhere, but Seto had anticipated that and was unsurprised to see it constantly at his side. It only fueled his hope that his brother would return to normal now that he had been reunited with his stuffed animal. When it came time for bed, Mokuba went voluntarily and without a fight- unlike the previous nights. Seto changed him before letting him change into his PJ's. When he tucked him in, his brother went to sleep almost immediately, which surprised him, but then again didn't. He watched his brother sleep for a little while, marveling at the enormous changes that had taken place between them in just a few days- both in his brother and within himself.

He was surprised at the amount of control over his anger he had shown. He had redirected it into his personal fitness and into his dueling strategy. He had also shocked himself by seeing the depth of his compassion. He didn't think he would ever do some of the things he'd done the past couple days until he became a father himself. But, in a way, he had become a father to his brother. By protecting, loving, and nurturing him in a way no one else would have been privileged enough to. He didn't even know it was something that he wanted that until now. But now that he knew, he was determined to get what he wanted. He stood up and looked at his brother one last time before leaving the room and getting onto his laptop to look up the next steps in getting to officially adopt his brother and severing all legal ties between him and Gozaburo forever.

When Mokuba woke up the next morning, he took a moment to orient himself in his room. He smiled when he saw his bear in its rightful place, and was glad to start a new day.

As quickly as his enthusiasm was there, it was gone with the sensation that came with a wet diaper.


	5. Disappointment

To say Seto was disappointed when he found out that Mokuba had woken up wet was an understatement. Although it didn't show in his face, the icy fingers of fear were beginning to claw at his heart. He changed him and helped him get ready for school before heading to work himself. He decided to start taking more serious action now that the one candle of hope he'd held had been snuffed out. He started doing research about causes of bed wetting, things he could do to prevent it, and so on. He even called a doctor he knew and persuaded him to make a house call, making sure he would know that when he arrived at the mansion that he would be signing a non disclosure agreement. He didn't need this going on the news.

He started by restricting the fluids his brother had in the evening and encouraging him to use the bathroom before bed. When the doctor came he would know more.

When Doctor Nakamura arrived at the mansion later that day, Kaiba was anxious to hear what he had to say. He had gotten there a little before Mokuba was due home from school. He took the time to explain everything that had happened the past few days, leaving nothing out, and had him sign the NDA. When Mokuba got home, the doctor took him aside privately to speak with him, asking him questions about his home life and how school was going. When he was satisfied, he thanked Mokuba for his time and went back to speak with Kaiba.

"What's the diagnosis?" He asked, taking a seat on the small sofa in the parlor. The doctor sat with him, taking a sip of tea that one of the servants had placed on the coffee table.

"Well, Mr. Kaiba, from what I can tell this could either be the result of a bladder infection, a bladder control problem, or emotional stress. I suggest taking him to a urologist for further examination. I'll give your brother a prescription for some pills that should be helpful to him, and I also suggest investing in a bed wetting alarm. It wakes up a child at the first hint of moisture and helps train their brain to associate waking up with a full bladder."

Kaiba nodded. "Alright. Send me your bill."

Doctor Nakamura nodded and wrote up the prescription before exiting the manor.

Kaiba handed the prescription to one of the servants to take to the pharmacy and have it filled immediately, and made an appointment with a urologist. When he finished with that, he went to see how his brother was doing, and was surprised to see him crying.

"Mokie? What's wrong?"

Mokuba jumped at the sound of his brother's voice and looked at him, afraid. The look on his face was heartbreaking, and Seto went to his side instantly. It was then that he smelled the familiar stench of urine. It didn't take a genius to put together what had happened.

He had wet himself while awake.

Seto sat on the bed and started trying to calm him down, even though deep inside he was just as frightened as Mokuba probably was.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Seto!" He sobbed, hugging his brother's torso. Kaiba stroked his hair gently.

"It's alright. I'm not mad at you." He promised. That seemed to settle him down a little.

"Y-You're not?" He sniffed.

"Of course not. I know you can't control it." He said quietly.

"But I should be able to!" He cried. "This isn't normal!"

"I know. But we're going to fix it together." He swore. Mokuba tried to even out his breathing. Seto took his hand. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. I'm going to take you to the doctor's tomorrow, so that should help."

Mokuba nodded, thumb gravitating toward his mouth. Seto noticed that his thumb was raw from sucking. He put that into mental storage for later and helped change him.

"For right now we're going to put on another diaper in case this happens again, alright?"

Mokuba nodded again, not saying anything.

Later that evening, Seto sat at his desk in the study, thinking about Mokuba's accidents and his thumb sucking. The accidents were uncontrollable, but the thumb sucking was starting to become a habit- and a bad one at that. He needed to find a healthier substitute. He stared at his computer blankly, trying to come up with an idea. When one finally did come to him, he wasn't exactly pleased with the thought, but decided to go with it. Not long after, he sent one of his servants to the store and had them bring it back before Mokuba went to bed. Tonight was the first night Mokuba would try taking his new medication, and he felt hopeful for a better result.

When Seto came to tuck him in that night, he held the pacifier in his hand and held it up to his brother.

"I got you this today. I know you like to suck your thumb, but I thought this might be a little healthier. Will you give it a try for me?"

Mokuba nodded and took it from his brother's hand before sticking it in his mouth. At first he didn't like the taste, but quickly he grew accustomed to it, eyes starting to close. Seto came over to him and gave him a hug.

"Good night, Mokuba."

"Night Seto." He said, quickly falling asleep.

Seto quietly closed his bedroom door, hoping to get a little further in filing the proper adoption papers before going to bed. As he filled out the papers online, his mind wandered to other places. He hoped that whatever was causing his brother's problem could be fixed. After all the difficulties that his little brother had been through, he didn't deserve any more stress. He kept going for about an hour. When he couldn't bring himself to go any further with his work, he fell into a troubled sleep.


	6. Diagnosed

The next day, Kaiba left work early and picked Mokuba up from school to take him to the doctor. When they got to the practice of Central Doctors Of Domino (the most exclusive and expensive practice in the city) Seto started walking toward the doors with Mokuba trailing behind him, clinging to his jacket. They made their way through the massive building and finally got to the Urologists office. Luckily, they were the only ones there- and that was how Seto had planned it. He had personally bought out the office's appointments for that afternoon so that everything that needed to be tested, x-rayed, or anything else could be finished that day. The receptionist welcomed them warmly and the nurse on duty ushered them back into the examination room. Mokuba fidgeted nervously and looked up at his big brother. Seto got up from his chair and sat next to his brother.

"Scared?" He asked, quietly. Mokuba nodded.

"What if they can't fix me?" He asked, staring at his brother with wide eyes. The look on his face made Seto's protective instinct go into overdrive. He squeezed his brother's hand tightly.

"If they can't, then that's okay. We're just here to get a name for whatever's going on. After that we can figure out what to do next on our own."

It made Mokuba smile and comforted him just in time for the Doctor to arrive.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kaiba." He said, shaking his hand.

"Doctor." He said with a nod. Doctor Yoshida smiled kindly.

"Good afternoon, Mokuba."

"Hi." He said quietly.

"So, what brings you here today?" He asked, looking at Mokuba who, in turn, looked up at his brother to explain. Kaiba controlled the urge to roll his eyes and started to explain the situation at hand to the doctor. He explained that his brother had been completely continent up until a few days ago, the stress that he had first thought had been the trigger but wasn't, and the orders of Doctor Nakamura yesterday. Doctor Yoshida nodded kindly at him as he told the story. When it was over, he remained chipper.

After doing a short physical exam, the doctor spoke again.

"Well Mokuba, let's get you in for some tests and figure out what the problem is. Please, follow me." He said, ushering the brothers through the door.

Mokuba followed, holding his brother's hand tightly. After changing into a gown, the doctor took him to a different part of the campus to take a cystometrogram. A cystometrogram, he explained, would allow him to test bladder function and capacity. Then, when that was finished, tested his bladder muscle tone and coordination with something called a electromyography. Afterward he did a urine culture, and finally some kidney, spinal, bladder, and brain imaging, which took a grand total of three hours to complete. When that was done, the doctor excused himself for a few minutes to review his findings while Mokuba changed back into his normal clothes. The minutes seemed like hours as they passed by all too slowly, and he was growing more anxious by the minute. Kaiba, who could feel the tension in the air thickening around them, kept a sharp eye on his brother, who looked like he was about to burst. When the doctor finally returned, the tension was so thick he could have cut it with a knife.

"Well Mokuba, after looking over all the tests, it seems that you have what we call neurogenic bladder, which can come out of nowhere and cause sudden wetting not in just children but in adults also. There is no cure for neurogenic bladder as of yet and no medications, but there are steps you can take to reduce your discomfort, like making sure to urinate at regular intervals, and you can start by keeping a journal to record any leakage incidents to determine the appropriate intervals for you to urinate. There is also the treatment option of electrical stimulation therapy. This therapy involves placing small electrodes on the bladder. When stimulated, the electrodes can send impulses to the brain, telling it you need to urinate- although I don't recommend that at your age." Considering the frightened look on Mokuba's face, that option was out the door.

He turned to Kaiba. "You did the right thing in purchasing diapers, although if you would like a different way of handling your incontinence I would be happy to recommend a few options."

"Such as?"

"There is something called a Collecting system- it consists of a sheath worn over the penis that funnels the urine into a bag worn on the leg."

Mokuba made a face at that. It sounded gross.

"There are other options like different types of catheters."

Mokuba looked up at his brother curiously. Was that something he wanted? Kaiba shuttered at the idea.

"No? Well, there are a few surgical procedures that can be done. There's a bladder sling that helps improve bladder control and muscle tone, but it does increase the risk of urinary tract infections. Or maybe an artificial sphincter inserted in the body- it works to stimulate urination."

The look on Kaiba's face shot down both options. The doctor seemed unfazed by his indifference, or at least very used to it.

"Another surgical option includes implanting a urethral stent, which mimics the action of a catheter."

"I think we'll stick with the diapers for now. If he wants something different later we'll come back."

"Alright. Here's a few exercises your brother can try to help him gain more control of his bladder." He said, handing him a sheet of paper.

Kaiba nodded. "Alright."

"That's it for today."

"Very well. Thank you, Doctor Yoshida."

"Anytime, Mr. Kaiba. Goodbye, Mokuba."

"Bye." He said, quietly. The doctor smiled at him, and then left the room.

Mokuba looked up at his brother. What were they going to do now? Kaiba stood up, walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on little brother, let's go home."

 **Review Please!**


	7. Decided

Seto and Mokuba climbed into the back of the limousine. As they started on their journey home, Kaiba felt relieved. Now that he actually had a name for what he was facing, he felt more prepared to tackle the issue. He was going to do some work on his laptop when his little brother laid his head in his lap, yawning. He stuck his thumb into his mouth (Kaiba mentally kicked himself for not bringing the pacifier with him. He should have known that after all that poking and prodding Mokuba would be exhausted.) and went to sleep in his brother's lap.

"Goodnight, Mokuba." He said, quietly.

"'Night, bubba." Came the contented sigh.

Kaiba stiffened in his seat. If he had been standing when that had happened, he likely would have fallen over. It had been at least six years since his brother had called him that. Frankly, he was surprised that Mokuba even remembered that. He had been so young when he had called him that particular name. Maybe he was able to remember more of his early childhood now, Kaiba mused. But, with a shrug, he dismissed the idea and started trying to come up with new solutions to deal with his brother's incontinence, but came up with nothing new.

When they pulled up to the manor, Seto collected his brother in his arms and took him upstairs. He checked first that Mokuba's diaper was dry (it was) before taking off his shoes and tucking him into bed. He gently pulled Mokuba's thumb from his mouth and replaced it with his pacifier. He watched as Mokuba unconsciously reached for his bear and got it into his arms, snuggling it gently. It made Seto smile. In that moment he looked more like a two year old boy than a nine year old.

It was that thought that made Seto pause. In an instant he flashed back to all the regressive behaviors that his brother had been exhibiting the past week. Maybe that was what he should be worrying about now that his incontinence had been diagnosed properly and (sort of) treated. He decided to go with that new train of thought and went to his study to begin his research. He found several articles about younger children (age five or under) regressing, but was hard pressed to find anything talking about that kind of behavior in older children. From the articles he found on younger children, it seemed that their need for regression was typically a reaction to change- like a new sibling, starting school, or moving houses. There was also the possibility that it was a way of coping with something traumatic. When Kaiba looked over the flip book of their lives, he was able to suddenly understand it all with almost perfect clarity.

Their father had passed away when Mokuba was just a baby. After being pushed from home to home with their relatives for two years, they were shunted off to the orphanage, where he was his brother's protector and only friend. When they were adopted by Gozaburo, Seto was forced to work hours at a time without rest, leaving his little brother to fend for himself alone. When Seto had pretended to think Mokuba had betrayed him, the worst thing about it all was the terrified and heartbroken look on his little brother's face, but it had worked out in the end and he had been able to overthrow his Stepfather with his brother's help. But becoming president of Kaiba Corp had come at the expense of his time with his brother. Seto now saw that in becoming Vice President of Kaiba Corp, Mokuba had been forced to enter the real world far too quickly and at too young an age. Although Kaiba himself had flourished under those harsh conditions, he could now see the enormous toll they had taken on his little brother.

Now that things were stable in their lives, maybe he should let him slide back for a little while. Let Mokuba have the childhood he had been robbed of. Maybe he could help out now and somehow try and start to make up for all that time apart. Maybe he could finally be the father that his brother deserved. The idea was all it took for him to make a decision.

He knew what he had to do.

Affection, Love, and Sensitivity weren't exactly emotions he knew how to handle well. Sure, he had experienced them in his life, but only vaguely. No one had demonstrated those emotions to him in a long time, so naturally, he had no idea how to show them to his brother. Sure, he tried to be as nonjudgmental and nice as he could make himself be, but he knew that a lot of the time he missed the mark. But he knew that showing those emotions would help his brother immensely, so he decided to watch a few videos online to get reacquainted with the ideas.

He watched a mother play and deal with her young son through a slew of situations. The kindness and level-headedness she showed him were something that Kaiba took note of. He watched mothers to try and learn love and sensitivity, but it was watching fathers interact with their young children that really hit home for him. If regular guys all over the world could be this way to their children, then he could certainly do the same for his own brother.

He shut his laptop off and closed it, feeling a new sense of confidence. He could do this- and he wouldn't back down from this new challenge. He was, after all, a champion- and champions never backed down. He took a deep breath, and then let it out. This wasn't going to be an easy win like playing duel monsters with an amateur- it was going to be one of his biggest hurdles yet- but like every other obstacle he'd faced in his life, he was determined to knock it down.

Smiling, he shut the study door behind him and went upstairs to wake his brother up.

 **Please Review!**


	8. Proposals

Seto carefully opened up his brother's bedroom door to see him sleeping peacefully. He checked his wristwatch- it was already four o'clock. Kaiba knew he had to wake him up now if he wanted Mokuba to get to bed on time that night. He went to his brother's bedside and gently rubbed circles on his back.

"Mokie," he said quietly, "It's time to wake up now."

"No." Came the pitiful whine as he turned onto his other side, back facing his brother.

"Yes." Said Seto, stroking his hair. He picked him up out of bed, much to Mokuba's surprise, and settled him onto his hip. Mokuba wrapped his arms around his brother's neck instinctively, even with his bear in one hand. Kaiba watched Mokuba yawn tiredly, catching his pacifier when it fell from his mouth just before it hit the ground. He slipped it back into his brother's mouth and watched him suck on it for a few moments.

"Do you need a change?" He asked, smiling. Mokuba thought about it a second, then nodded. Seto easily changed him and then picked him up just long enough to sit himself on the bed and settle his brother into his lap and look at him very seriously. "I have an important question to ask you, and I want you to be honest with me about it, alright?" Mokuba nodded, eyes wide at the serious tone in his brother's voice. Seto steadied himself internally before asking the question.

"I did a lot of thinking today. And I realized that you really have been forced to grow up too fast. So, I would be willing to take care of you and treat you like a baby. Do you want that?"

For a second, Mokuba was speechless as he processed what he had just heard. When what his brother was saying finally sank in. He threw his arms around Kaiba's neck and cried happily, nodding. As he hugged him back, Seto knew he was doing the right thing. He made sure his brother was securely attached to his hip before carrying him to his study so that he could get some work done and order a few things for Mokuba as well. He asked for his opinion on a few things, but wanted the rest to be a surprise. When he was satisfied with his purchases, he set his brother down on the floor to play while he got started on the arduous task of replying to three days worth of emails. Just seeing the number seventy five beside the word "inbox" was enough to make him queasy. But, it was all a part of the job, and he knew it was work that had to be done. Occasionally he glanced down to make sure his little brother was okay, and every time he was. He sat there on the floor happily playing with his bear. He finished up just as dinner finally rolled around. Kaiba sent all the servants away and fed his little brother for the first time in years.

When dinner was over, Seto took his brother into the living room and sat with him while he watched TV, tinkering with the new updates on his duel disk. He was so engrossed with his work he almost didn't notice when Mokuba's eyelids began to droop. He looked up at the clock. It was already ten thirty at night. How did the time pass so quickly? He didn't know. He cradled his brother in his arms and took him upstairs to get ready for bed. After changing his diaper and helping him into his pajamas, he tucked him into bed and pressed a kiss to his forehead before silently exiting the room.

Back in his study (it was his favorite place in the house) he checked on the status of the adoption papers he had filed earlier in the week. He was happy to find that Gozaburo's parental rights had already been terminated. It was about damn time. Seeing that made him feel better about his choices than ever. What next, though?

He looked into it and found that the process of adopting a sibling was different than a regular adoption. Sometimes the home study part of the process could be eliminated entirely. That would be good. But even if someone did come, he was prepared. He was, after all, the president of a company and could easily meet his brother's basic needs. However, he knew it was his emotional needs that the social worker would be looking at. But he knew that doing all of what he was doing for his baby brother was a very good way to start. The rest of the process was just a lot of boring paperwork- and that was something he knew he could handle.

He hopped off of the site and was about to head to bed early when he saw Mokuba standing in the doorway. He knelt down in front of his brother and put his hands on his shoulders.

"Are you okay?" He asked as sensitively as he could manage. Mokuba shook his head and took the pacifier out of his mouth.

"I had a bad dream." He said sheepishly. Seto picked him up and held him in his arms.

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to come sit with you for a while?"

He nodded, and Seto carried him back to his room and re-tucked him in. He hummed quietly in hopes of getting his brother to sleep, but it didn't work, so he decided to read him a story instead.

"Once upon a time, there lived a very cunning fox who always wanted to cheat and deceive others with its awful and stupid acts. The fox used to deceive others with its sneaky mind. He used to speak to other animals sweetly to make him trustworthy.

One day he tried to cheat and have fun with a stork. He befriended the stork and gained the trust.

The fox acted like a very good friend and cared a lot for the stork. One day, he invited the stork to have a feast with him and he wanted to treat his friend with delicious food. The happy stork accepted the invitation.

The fox promised to offer rich and tasty food for the stork. Considering the delicious dinner proposed by the fox, the stork remained hungry for the whole day.

Fox took the stork to his home. He apologized to the stork that he could not make anything due to his illness and offered some soup. The stork although disappointed, cared for the fox and was happy with the soup.

The cunning fox offered the soup in a shallow bowl. The stork was stunned to have the soup in the shallow bowl! The long bill of the stork prevented it to take the soup. As the fox easily licked the soup from the plate, the stork wasn't able to even taste a bit of the soup. It just touched the soup with the tip of its bill.

The Fox asked the stork, 'How is the soup? Don't you like it?'

The Hungry stork replied, 'Oh it is good, but I have stomach upset and I can't take anymore soup!'

'I'm sorry for troubling you', said the fox.

The stork replied, 'Oh dear, please don't say sorry. I have some health problem and cannot enjoy what you offer. Please take care of your health.'

She left the place thanking the fox!

However, the stork understood that it was cheated by the fox and decided to teach him a lesson. After a few days, the fox met the stork again and decided to play another prank on the stork. This time it was the stork's turn. The stork welcomed the fox happily and invited to pay a return visit to have a dinner.

The fox was happy and they decided on a date to have the dinner. The Stork asked the fox's favourite food and offered to cook the same for the dinner.

The day arrived and the fox reached the stork's place. The stork served soup to the fox and asked him to have soup first.

The soup was served in a narrow jar with a long-neck. The stork was able to drink the soup very easily with its long bill, however the fox couldn't.

The stork asked the fox to enjoy the soup. And showed several delicious dishes in long-necked jars. The disappointed fox said, 'My stomach is very painful. I'm leaving now' and left the place running. The end."

By the end of the story, Mokuba was fast asleep. Seto followed his lead shortly after.

 **Please Review!**


	9. Observed

A few days after that first magical day of bonding, Kaiba received a call from social services giving him the date of the home study that would determine if he could officially adopt his brother. Not wanting to tell him just yet about the adoption, Seto told his brother that the woman was a reporter doing a story on a day in their lives and would be their guest for one day.

Mrs. Gina Araya was a beautiful woman in her mid thirties with platinum blonde hair pinned up in a tight bun atop her head. Her nose was long and pointed, her blue eyes sharp and never missing a thing. She wore a purple dress with a matching blazer and a pair of black high heels, accessorizing with a solitaire diamond necklace, matching earrings, and a diamond tennis bracelet. Although she looked the part of a snooty and uptight woman, she was actually quite kind with a warm smile that she generously shared.

When she arrived at the Kaiba mansion early that morning, Hobson answered the door and escorted her to the parlor where Seto was waiting with a tray of hot tea. He stood up and offered her his hand.

"Welcome, Mrs. Araya."

"Please, Mr. Kaiba, call me Gina." She said, shaking his hand.

"If you prefer. Please have a seat. May I offer you some tea?"

"That would be lovely, thank you." He began pouring her tea.

"Sugar?"

"Two spoons please." He stirred her tea and then handed him a cup.

"I just wanted to go through a few things with you before we began the day."

"Such as?"

"Firstly that I told my brother that you're a reporter doing a report on a day in our lives. I haven't told him about the adoption yet because I don't want to get his hopes up and then have them shot down if it doesn't work out."

"Alright. What else?"

"Mokuba has recently developed incontinence and is in diapers for the time being. I've already taken him to two doctors in the past week for a diagnosis. Here." He said, handing her copies of the reports. After looking them over, she nodded.

"Alright Mr. Kaiba. Is that everything?"

"That's it."

"Then let's get on with the show."

"Very well."

He got up from the couch in the parlor and went upstairs to wake his brother up. He glanced at the hall clock and saw that it was six forty five in the morning already. It was going to be a hectic morning. Kaiba knelt down by his brother's bedside and started stroking his hair gently.

"Mokuba. It's time to get up now." He said quietly. Mokuba whined pitifully, clutching his bear.

"No. Not yet."

"Yes. Come on now, I don't want you to be late for school."

He mumbled something unintelligible before slowly getting out of bed. He dragged himself into the adjoining bathroom and got in the shower while Kaiba himself waited in the room. When the door opened just a crack, he went into the bathroom and helped his brother change before going downstairs with him to eat breakfast. He didn't even notice the woman lurking in the hallway- but that was what made her good at her job- she was very discreet. She watched as Kaiba made sure he had everything he needed for school before giving him a hug and sending him off in a limo before preparing to go to work himself. He offered her to use the time while they were away to use it to do an inspection of the house (since that would take all day) and she agreed. She also took the time to ask the servants what they saw of their relationship and how they thought the adoption would impact things. All of them gave glowing reviews, knowing that Mokuba was truly the only person in the world that Seto Kaiba truly cared about. After all, they had witnessed it with their own eyes.

Seto made sure to get home early from work that day to make sure Mokuba would be alright. He felt glad that he had later when his little brother ran through the door crying. He threw his backpack on the floor by the door and jumped into his big brother's lap.

"Mokie? What's wrong? What happened?" He asked, rubbing his back soothingly. When Mokuba tried to talk he was crying too hard to be understood. Seto started hushing him, then scooped him up and set him on his hip, bouncing him up and down gently. "Shhhhh. It's alright, it's okay. You're safe here. Shhhhh." It worked a little, but not enough. So he started to sing to him. Slowly, the violent sobs began to die down until they were hiccups. He sat back down and set his little brother in his lap, arms wrapped around him securely. "What happened?" He asked, gently.

"They... Laughed... At... Me!" Each word was preceded by a hiccup and a sniffle.

"Why did they laugh at you?"

"Because..."

"Because why?"

"Because they found out about my diapers." Kaiba's heart was crushed in his chest upon hearing it. He wanted to slap himself for not taking one of the doctor's other suggestions. But Mokuba wasn't done. "They kept saying "You're too big for a diaper. Babies wear diapers. You can't wear a diaper unless you're a baby." and started laughing at me. They said I wasn't big enough to be in school and that I should be at home with my Mommy where I belong." He looked up at his big brother, crying silently. Seto pulled him into a big hug where he could cry himself out. When he was finished, Seto gently chucked him under the chin and had him look at him.

"I know you're not a baby. and you know you're not a baby, right?" Mokuba nodded. "You only wear diapers because of a medical condition. That doesn't make you a baby. Bullies like taking advantage of kids like that though. But if you don't let them get to you, they don't get what they want. They can only make you feel bad if you let them. Okay?" Mokuba nodded. Seto gave him a hug.

"Can you do me a favor, though?"

"What?"

"Can you tell me their names?"

Mokuba listed off their names, and Kaiba wrote them down. When his little brother yawned hugely, he couldn't help but smile as he walked him to his bedroom to take a much needed nap. While his little brother was sleeping Kaiba went to his study to make a few phone calls and send an email or two. First he emailed the principal and Mokuba's teacher about the incident, and then he took out the phone book to talk with the parents of the other children. He invited them over to the manor personally and, flattered, they arrived promptly- though the reason why they were invited wasn't made clear. After they arrived, they were ushered into the parlor where Kaiba's face turned from polite to serious.

"I'm sure you're wondering why you're all here." The adults looked at each other and nodded. "I'd be happy to tell you. You're here because your children have been bullying my little brother."

His guests looked a little frightened now (as they should be).

"Your children made fun of my brother because he has a medical condition that makes him incontinent and he has to wear diapers because of it. This only happened very recently, and Mokuba is still very embarrassed about it. He does not need anybody making fun of him for this. I have very little tolerance for bullies. If this isn't made right I won't hesitate to take this to someone of higher authority. Do I make myself clear?"

They all nodded, mouths agape.

"Good. You may show yourselves out the door."

With that, he left to go wake Mokuba for dinner.

The rest of the evening went beautifully. After dinner, Seto continued his work on his laptop while simultaneously playing a game of Duel Monsters with his little brother. When bedtime rolled around, Seto oversaw his routine and read him a story before bed. Quickly, he fell asleep. Pressing a kiss to his forehead, Seto left the room to find Gina awaiting him in the hall.

"I've seen all I need to today, Mr. Kaiba. Someone will call in a few weeks with the verdict, alright?"

"Very well. Thank you, Gina."

"My pleasure."

With that, she left to go to her car. Having seen all that occurred in the house today, there was only one answer to his request to adopt his brother. She took out her stamp and marked the end of the interview with the word "approved".

 **Please Review!**


	10. New

In the next few days following Gina Araya's visit, everything that Seto had ordered for his little brother had come in, and he spent a good chunk of his time once he got home from work putting things together in a former guest room right next to his brother's room. He kept it locked just in case Mokuba got home early (he didn't want him spoiling the surprise)- but luckily for him he finished everything just as his brother got home from school.

"Seto?" Called the younger Kaiba. "Where are you?"

Kaiba rounded the corner into the living room right there, and Mokuba ran into his waiting arms happily. He scooped his little brother up and started on his way to the new room.

"How was school today?" Asked Seto, smiling kindly.

"Good. The bullies said they were sorry." Inwardly, Kaiba smirked.

"I'm glad." He said with a hint of happy malice in his eyes. "And I have a surprise for you."

Mokuba's eyes lit up with delight. "Really? What is it?"

When he got to the door, he set his brother down. "Open it and see."

Mokuba looked at the room in wonder. It was an oversized nursery. The crib was in one corner, with a changing table in the other. There was a shiny white rocking chair, a brown toy chest, a tiny white bookshelf overflowing with books, a closet across the room, and adjacent to that was a dresser full of onesies and footie pajamas. To Mokuba, it was like a dream. He looked up at his brother with shining eyes.

"It's mine?"

Seto nodded.

"It's all yours."

Mokuba hugged him happily.

"But," said Kaiba, "it does come with a few conditions. This room is only for you and I to go in. I have a key, and I'll make you one within the week. When nobody's home, this room has to be locked. And there are rules for when you're in this room. first rule is that you are not allowed to walk anywhere in this room. You may only crawl. The second rule is that you are not allowed to go into the bathroom unless it's bath time." Mokuba nodded, slipping his thumb into his mouth. "The third rule is no big boy television. You can watch Disney movies or little kid shows, but nothing else." Mokuba nodded again. "Fourth, you may not feed yourself, and may not use full sentences. Finally, you need to either cry or come to me when you need a change, okay?" Mokuba nodded. Seto smiled. "Good. I wanted you to have a place where you can be yourself, and this room was it. Do you want to go in now?"

Mokuba nodded and reached up to his brother who gladly picked him up and took him inside, locking the door behind him.

"Do you want to get dressed?" He asked sweetly. Mokuba nodded, and Seto put him in the crib with the side down. Mokuba watched him closely, hands absently searching for his beloved bear. When he found it, he snuggled it happily and waited for his big brother to finish what he was doing. Kaiba finally pulled out a blanket sleeper from one of the drawers and began the process of dressing him- making sure to do a diaper check before getting him into the footed sleeper. When he was finally dressed, Mokuba sat up and reached up for his brother, opening and closing his hands repeatedly, whimpering.

"What's the matter, Mokie?" He said, getting ready to pick him up.

"I want hold me." He whined quietly. Seto smiled and did just that. His little brother tried to furrow deeper into his chest for warmth. Seto sat down in the rocking chair and cuddled his baby brother for a long time. It was only when Mokuba asked him a question that he paused.

"Bubba?" He asked, looking up at his brother. Seto smiled at the old nickname.

"Hmmm?"

"What was Mommy like?"

The question surprised him so much that he almost didn't notice that Mokuba had broken one of the rules by speaking in full sentences. But then again, there wasn't a real way to ask that question without it being a full sentence. He stopped rocking in the chair and looked down at his brother who was looking at him with the most innocently curious expression he had ever seen. He started stroking Mokuba's hair absently. Although he wasn't one to relive the past, he supposed he should make an exception for his little brother.

"She had long brown hair and blue eyes. She always wore the same string of pearls around her neck and the same perfume every day. I think I can still smell it sometimes. She had a great laugh and She was always kind to everyone. She used to read stories all the time and when she was pregnant with you she sang all the time because she was sure you could hear her. She and Dad used to dance in the house together all the time. But the thing I remember most is that she really loved us in a way that I can't really explain. She was honest and kind in a way that people like Gozaburo will never understand. She was a wonderful person."

Mokuba was surprised by his brother's honesty and candidness on the subject. He smiled up at him and cuddled into him again, saying thank you without speaking. Taking a cue from everything he had just said, Seto began humming quietly to his brother until he fell asleep. Taking extra care in lifting him up, Kaiba gently placed his brother in his new crib, making sure that he had his bear and pacifier before putting the other side of the crib up and locking it into place as quietly as he could manage. Padding out of the room with the stealth of a cat, he took one last look at his sleeping brother before shutting the door and locking it behind him.

 **Please Review!**


	11. Letter

When Mokuba woke up two hours later, he rolled onto his side, confused as to where he was. Only when he saw the fuzzy outline of the crib bars did he remember where he was. He looked over to the rocking chair, expecting his brother to be there. When he wasn't there, Mokuba frowned. On top of that, his diaper was cold and clammy. It was uncomfortable and made him whimper quietly. When he still didn't show up five minutes after that, the whimpers grew into cries. Not long after that, he heard the door open and looked at it expectantly. Seto entered the room smiling softly and shut the door behind him. He went over to the crib and put the side down before picking up his little brother and starting to change him.

"Did you have a nice nap?" He asked, interestedly. Mokuba nodded. "Good." Quickly, he was changed and dressed again in a matter of minutes. Mokuba happily clung to his brother as he sat back in the rocking chair. "What do you want to do now?"

Mokuba shrugged.

"Are you hungry?" He asked. His brother nodded, so he set him down on the floor and went to the kitchen to get his brother something to eat. While he was there, he picked up the mail left out on the counter and put them into one of his Jacket pockets. He got a bowl of soup and brought it back into the nursery. Mokuba had been waiting for him expectantly. Kaiba sat on the floor with his brother and fed him spoonfuls of soup while telling him completely made up stories that came off the top of his head.

He was glad to see his little brother enjoying himself and was happy to finally feel like he was making a real difference in his life. He couldn't go back and change the past, but he could try and construct something to counteract it. They had money, fame, and power, but most importantly they had each other as family- and that's what was most important. Sometimes in all the hustle and bustle of their daily lives they tended to forget or belittle that fact. It took moments like these to reinforce the bond that they shared.

Kaiba was usually so focused on his work that sometimes making time for his brother fell by the wayside, but now that he was really making an effort to be with him daily and do something to make them closer, he could finally see that the real rewards in life didn't come in the form of riches or power as he had once thought- they came in the little moments that happened every day with his family.

When the bowl of soup was gone, Mokuba decided to take a break from the nursery and get some homework done, so Kaiba went to the study to try and get a little work done himself. He had almost forgotten about the mail he had put in his pocket until he dropped a pen on the floor. When he bent down to pick it up, an envelope had fallen out. He took out the rest of the mail from his jacket and started to sort through it. Most of it was junk mail. There were a few bills and two or three business letters from Industrial Illusions that he set aside for later, but nothing that screamed important- until, that is, he got to the last letter in the stack. He saw the familiar return address and ripped it open with ferocious anticipation and nervousness. It was from the adoption agency. It was a personal letter from Gina Araya herself. Unconsciously, he held his breath as he began to read.

 _Dear Mr. Kaiba,_

 _As you can Imagine, in my line of work I have seen almost any and every situation between siblings there can be. I've seen destructive relationships that destroy a family, and a few children who manage to brave that and stay strong enough to keep their family together despite its toxicity. I've seen siblings love and protect each other through the worst of situations. I had thought I had seen it all- until I saw you with your brother._  
 _The two of you are obviously very close. When I first started observing you I could pick up on that right away. I've seen many older siblings enter the parental role, but none with the same depth in commitment to protect and love them that you have displayed. I had seen you on television before and had seen the way you speak and carry yourself around other people. But the stark contrast between your public face and private one were so starkly different that they surprised even me. It is obvious to me that you are your brother's whole world and would do whatever it takes to protect him._ _  
_ _Most of the time I have to teach lessons to the people I meet in my line of work. I really didn't expect you to teach me anything, but you surprised me. You showed me the depth of your commitment to giving your brother a better life. You showed me that you were more than capable of caring for your brother and that you would gladly make whatever sacrifice necessary for his well being. These are the traits I look for in prospective parents, and I was shocked to find them in someone like you. Thank you for proving the age old saying that you can't judge a book by its cover. For once I am very happy to be wrong in my assumptions. Although it isn't procedure, I wanted to let you know personally that I have approved your request for adoption. You should receive a call in the next few weeks giving you your court date. I wanted to offer you my heartfelt congratulations. I wish you luck in your new role as an adoptive parent and with all of your future ambitions._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Gina Araya_


	12. Surprises Revealed

Kaiba spent the first seconds after reaching the end of the letter reviewing it over, in complete shock over what he had seen. As he looked over the words scribed with such precision, he tried to process the words he had just read. Over and over again he read it until none of the words made sense anymore. He tore his eyes away from the letter and looked around the room, trying to regain his wits when his eyes landed on a picture of himself and Mokuba that sat on his desk and picked it up. Taken earlier in the year, it still looked like them. Every year around the same time he had a new picture taken to put on his desk. When the old one was replaced, he hung it on the wall next to him to chart how far the two of them had come together. Seeing that picture every day and looking up at that wall reminded him of why he did what he did and gave him something to strive for. Now, looking at the portrait of the two of them, the words Gina had written finally sank in.

 _I wanted to let you know personally that I have approved your request for adoption._

He had done it. He had won his fight. He set down the picture, still in awe, but also triumphant with the feeling of victory flowing through him. For a minute there was a rush of uncharacteristic giddiness that wracked his body, but it never crossed his face. He wondered if he should tell Mokuba now or wait until later. Finding his own joy outweighing his patience, he got up and started on the way to Mokuba's room.

When he got to the door, he paused just as he was about to grab the knob, doubt beginning to cloud his thoughts. Had he done the right thing in doing this without telling his brother? Had he perhaps been too hasty in taking on this challenge? The question that made itself most prevalent however, was the biggest doubt of all.

What if Mokuba said no?

He tried to push those thoughts away. That was crazy talk. Of course his brother would be thrilled. He was just getting caught up in his head, and that was his least favorite place to be. He hadn't gotten to where he was now by doubting himself and his instincts. He needed his confidence and smarts. He couldn't afford to start second guessing himself now. After a few seconds of giving himself a pep talk, he opened the door just a crack.

Mokuba sat with his head down on his desk and pencil in his hand. Seto could easily tell that he was struggling with his homework. The doubts started resurfacing again, but he quickly crushed them by walking into his brother's room.

"Mokuba?" He said quietly. His brother jumped at the sound of his voice, startled from his struggles with his math homework.

"Hey bro."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. You just scared me is all."

"I meant with your homework."

"Oh." He blinked twice. "That. It's coming along I guess."

"Do you need some help?"

"No... Yes... I don't know..."

Kaiba smiled at him halfheartedly and went out of the room, grabbed a chair, and sat next to his brother at his desk.

"What are you working on?"

"Times tables."

"Those can be hard."

"Yeah."

"What one are you working on right now?"

"36x4."

"Show me how your teacher told you to do it." After about five minutes of struggling, he finally got an answer.

"Why don't you try it this way?" He said, and grabbed a sheet of scrap paper. "Try adding it together four times instead and see if that's easier."

Indeed it was. Within another half hour, Mokuba had finally finished the rest of his homework. When he was done, Seto picked him up and took him into the nursery, hoping to break the news to him somewhere comfortable. He sat him in his lap and started thinking about how exactly to bring this up and sell it in a positive way. Mokuba was not unaware of his brother's contemplative state, but knew it was best to keep quiet until his brother had collected his thoughts.

"Mokuba, do you remember the woman who came and visited us a few days ago?" He asked. Mokuba nodded. "I told you that she was a reporter, but I lied about who she was because I didn't want you to feel nervous around her and because I was trying to do something special for you but I didn't want to tell you what it was in case it didn't happen. I didn't want to get your hopes up too high. But today I got some really great news and I can finally give you your surprise."

Mokuba was a little disappointed at first to hear his brother had lied to him, but his disappointment was quickly curbed with curiosity at this new surprise. He cocked his head to the side, looking up at his big brother with wonder. Seto took a breath to steady himself and then blurted it out.

"I started the process of adopting you, Mokuba. And today I found out that I won."

It took Mokuba a few seconds to understand the words his brother had said.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that the promise I made to you in the orphanage about being your father now has come true. You're my responsibility now and I promise no one will ever take you from me. Not if they want to live."

"But what about Gozaburo?"

"Gone." Said Seto icily. "I made sure every tie he had to you has been severed. He will never ever hurt you again." He vowed.

"So you're my Dad now?"

"Legally yes."

"So what do I call you?"

Seto smiled. "Whatever you want. That's entirely up to you."

Mokuba squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.

"In public I'll still call you my brother. But in private, can I...?"

Kaiba nodded. "Of course you can."

"Okay... Dad."

Kaiba couldn't stop smiling.


	13. Vengeance

In the coming days both boys underwent major changes after the secret was out. Somehow they grew even closer than before- which seemed almost impossible considering their already thick as thieves mentality. They settled into their new roles as easily as Kaiba could win a duel. And yet as easily as these roles were to fall into, it was so vastly different from than what they had been used to. It was like they were meeting each other for the first time. And in a way they were, for they had never seen these particular parts of the other before.

Kaiba was now working on honing his newfound paternal instincts. For him it was almost the same as his fraternal instincts, but this was much more... Primal. The instinctual need to protect and defend was at it's most basic level. He would never let anything happen to Mokuba. He was his- plain and simple.

Mokuba, in turn, began seeing his brother in a whole new light. Obviously there had always been a nurturing side to Seto that had only ever come out to him. But now that side was dominant in their home. In public Seto remained cold and detached, but in private he was a totally different person- almost like a split personality, even though he was assured that he was perfectly sane.

The week that followed brought with it the call Kaiba had been waiting for, and that was a relief.

However, the week wasn't over yet.

It started out as any other day.

Seto got up, showered, dressed, helped Mokuba get ready for school, had breakfast with him, and then sent him off for the day while he went to work. It was about halfway through the day when a knock came and the door opened without his permission.

A man with fair skin, slicked back black hair, a thin mustache, and brown eyes entered the room in a very expensive suit.

"Did I say you could enter?" Came the icy hiss.

"No. But I don't need your permission." The stranger said confidently.

"You do to enter my office."

"It's not your office. Not really."

Kaiba shut his laptop and stared the man down with a stony expression.

"You have exactly thirty seconds to tell me why you're here before I call security."

"Mr. Kaiba, my name is Cayman Jakobe, and I worked with your Stepfather Gozaburo some time ago. He cheated me out of a business deal twelve years ago and I came to get my money back."

Seto stood up, seething with so much anger that he seemed to be frothing at the mouth.

"You dare come in here and mention the name of the man who almost destroyed my family and then demand my money?!" Kaiba was furious and incensed at his nerve. He pushed the red button on his desk.

"I need security in my office immediately!"

The doors burst open and the chief of security, Grayson Pierce, entered the room.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba?"

"Gentleman, please escort Mr. Jakobe out of my building immediately."

"You're making a big mistake!" He cried, struggling against their hold.

"I don't think I am."

With that, the doors shut, and he thought that was the end of the subject.

Little did Kaiba know, Cayman Jakobe was a man who never left home without a contingency plan. When he was unceremoniously chucked out the front door, he pulled out his cell phone and pushed a button. It sent a signal to one of his men stationed in front of Mokuba's school. He looked at the man next to him and they both nodded. The first man stayed at his post in front of the school, while the second drove two miles away to switch his car with a limousine. He drove it back then, when school was about to be let out, hid in the trunk.

The other man was dressed as a limo driver and picked up Mokuba with arousing a hint of suspicion. He started driving toward an abandoned warehouse, but Mokuba didn't notice. He hadn't slept the night before studying for a test and had fallen asleep in the backseat.

Cayman waited for Kaiba outside of Kaiba Corp, smirking smugly. He was going to get what he wanted no matter what it cost. Kaiba saw him and looked at him with ill-hidden annoyance.

"Didn't I tell you to get lost?"

"I suppose you did. But I'm not the one who's lost right now."

He held up his phone to show a live feed of Mokuba gagged and chained to a wall. The shock struck him and for a moment he was motionless. The fear shot through his heart and cut him like a knife. His newfound paternal instinct was activated at once, the instinctual need to protect and defend went into overdrive as his mind whirred, trying to find the words to express his feelings.

"No! What have you done?!" He spat.

"I did what I had to do to get back what's mine!"

"So you took my brother?"

"You have what's mine, and now I have what's yours. If you give me what I want, I'll tell you exactly where your brother is, and we can pretend that this never happened. But if you don't, I will personally give orders on how to torture him, Seto. And I'll make you watch."

Cayman was willing to do whatever it took to get back his money. Gozaburo Kaiba had ruined his business and it had taken him years restoring it back from ruins. He had spent long grueling hours in his office trying to reclaim his fortune, and he would be damned if he was going to let some game playing, self centered, spoiled, teenage brat get in his way. He started to laugh evilly as he spoke.

"It's up to you now, Seto. You can give me your money or you can watch me tear your brother apart piece by piece! The choice is yours! But no matter what you choose, revenge is finally mine!"


	14. Rescue

"What will it be, Seto? The money? Or your little brother?" Asked Cayman snidely.

Seto stood in front of him, face arranged into a cold mask that gave nothing away. Inside, However, he was a complete mess, wracking his brain for some alternate solution that would make sure he would come out on top.

Suddenly, he had a Brilliant idea, but kept his face the same.

"Fine, Jakobe. If you want your money, you can have it."

"Excellent. That will be five million dollars, please."

"I'll bring it back out to you in a minute."

"Better hurry. Don't want your brother to get hurt, do you?" He taunted.

Seto said nothing as he went back inside.

He recruited his chief of security and told him of his plan, which he quickly agreed to. Grayson Pierce headed out the back way and went all the way to the police station as Kaiba put all the money in a steel briefcase. Then, stopping by the technological wing of the building, he took one of the almost microscopic tracking devices and activated it before he hid it somewhere in the briefcase. He closed the case and then walked out in front of the building.

Cayman stood there, clearly pleased with his work. He opened up the case and watched Jakobe's eyes light up as he saw the money.

"Five million dollars. It's all here."

"I'm no fool. Let me count the money myself."

"Fine."

While counting the money, Cayman was also looking for tracking devices. He figured that Kaiba was smart enough to find a way to track his money. He checked inside and out, but found nothing.

He would have never thought to check in the hinges at the bottom of the briefcase.

Only Seto Kaiba had developed the technology to make something that small. It was the same device he had planted in the duel disk systems during the Battle City Tournament. Now he could truly appreciate his own genius.

Jakobe was about to reach for the briefcase when Kaiba slammed it shut and snatched away.

"Where's my little brother?"

"Give me the money and I'll tell you."

"Why should I believe you? How do I know you're not just going to run away once I give it to you?"

"I may be a lot of things, Mr. Kaiba, but I would be nothing if I was not a man of my word."

Still deeply suspicious, he slowly set the briefcase in his foe's hands.

"807 Clayborne Street. Warehouse K."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

Cayman ordered the crony showing Mokuba's location go outside and show the address. His words were true.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Kaiba."

With that, he walked away, and Seto made a mad dash for his limousine- but he was not dismayed. Grayson was more than capable of leading the police to wherever Cayman took the money. He had bigger things to worry about. With a squeal of the tires, Kaiba was speeding toward the warehouse district.

Meanwhile, Mokuba was staring at the grime-covered floor of the large warehouse where he was chained to the wall. There were uncovered pipes coated in rust that was dripping down the sides and onto the already brown and dirty walls. The warehouse itself smelled of raw sewage, and it made Mokuba nauseous just thinking about it. But he couldn't get sick- he was gagged and chained. At first he had been absolutely terrified when he had woken up. The last thing he remembered was someone popping up out of the trunk and hitting him over the head. He had wanted to cry so badly, but once he saw he was being watched, he kept it together. He swept his fearful emotions under the rug and only kept his face in an expression of righteous anger. When he heard that his big brother was on his way, his body sagged in relief.

Yugi Moto was walking home from school when he saw the police chasing a man in a business suit. Yugi and Yami both sensed the impending danger and decided to help catch him. Slipping into the next alley, he stuck a foot out, tripping the thief and allowing the police to catch him.

When Kaiba arrived at the district, he didn't care what was waiting for him in that warehouse. All he could think about was Mokuba. Even though he had already seen what his brother was going through, his imagination still decided to mess with him. He could see it all so clearly: Mokuba huddled in some dark closet, wondering if it was safe to come out; Mokuba lying cold on some filthy floor, bleeding to death; Mokuba crying out for help, with no one to comfort him. Scenario on top of scenario ran through his mind the closer he got to warehouse K.

When at last he reached the door, he could see the man guarding it. He swooped in like a hawk and swiftly brought him down. He grabbed the key that unlocked the chains from inside of his jacket pocket. Another man sneaked up behind him, intending to taser him, but Kaiba's newfound instincts served him well, and he ducked down and swept the man's legs out from under him before grabbing the taser and making sure they were both down. When he was certain that no one else was there, he finally set his sights on his brother. He ran to him and pulled the gag out of his mouth before unlocking his chains. Mokuba instantly wrapped his arms and legs around his brother and started to cry. Kaiba's phone beeped. He only stayed on long enough to hear Grayson say that Cayman was captured, and to tell him to send the police to the warehouse to pick up two more. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and hugged his little brother tightly.

"It's alright, Mokuba. They will never ever hurt you again. I promise."


	15. Sensitivity

Kaiba easily picked up his brother and carried him all the way back to the limo without ever breaking a sweat. He got him into the backseat just as the police arrived. He told them everything he had seen and what his little brother had gone through. He asked to see Cayman the next day, and they said that was fine. One of the officers had wanted to get a statement from Mokuba, but Kaiba politely asked if that could wait until tomorrow while slipping him a hundred dollar bill. The cop agreed, and he finally climbed in the limo to go back home.

As soon as he sat down, Mokuba scampered into his lap, afraid. Seto pulled him into a tight embrace, letting him rest his head on his chest. He rolled up the privacy window as his little brother started sucking his thumb.

"It's alright, Mokuba. They can't hurt you anymore. I'm here. I promise I won't let anything get to you. Not while I'm around."

Fat tears began to roll down Mokuba's cheeks. Seto held him tighter.

"It's okay. It's okay." He repeated.

Mokuba's cries quickly turned into wails. Kaiba didn't try to quiet him down. He had already been taken, chained up, and abused by his captors. Who could be calm after something like that? He just talked to him calmly and held onto him protectively.

Quicker than either of them could have anticipated, they arrived back at the manor, where a swarm of press had gathered after hearing of the incident. There was an army of reporters, news anchors, sound guys, and camera men at the gates of the Manor. The chauffeur was forced to park the limousine in front of the gates. He waited until Mokuba had calmed completely to leave the privacy of the car. The ocean of media hounds refused to abate. Seto gritted his teeth, angry at the lack of respect and privacy that his son received. He exited the limo, instructing Mokuba to say nothing and follow him closely. Seto Kaiba was no stranger to the workings of the press. They were being as respectful as they knew how to be, but they were still out of line. Kaiba elbowed his way through the mob that had gathered at his doorstep.

"Mr. Kaiba! Care to comment on the return of your brother?"

"How is Mokuba holding up?"

"What do you know about the kidnappers?"

Seto pushed through the middle of them, stone faced.

"No comment."

Mokuba hurriedly followed in the steps of his brother, hating all the microphones, flashing lights, and reporters shoved in his face. He said nothing to the press and eventually, they parted like the Red Sea.

Finally, they reached the door, and the raging sea of media was behind them. When they got inside, Seto picked him up again and headed straight for the nursery. He started sobbing again, harder than before- so much so that he wondered if he was going to make himself sick.

"Daddy..." Came the frightened whimper. Seto settled into the rocking chair and set him on his lap lovingly.

"What is it?" He asked, gently.

"Wet." He said, wiping his eyes. Kaiba wanted to smack himself for not thinking of it earlier.

"We can fix that." He said, scooping him up into his arms and setting him on the changing table. When his diaper was finally changed, Seto gave him his pacifier and beloved teddy bear, but he wasn't happy. Not yet. Kaiba could tell there was something he wasn't saying. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"What?" Said Mokuba, cuddling his bear.

"What aren't you telling me?" He rephrased.

Mokuba blushed a deep red. Seto put a hand on his shoulder. Mokuba looked up and saw the kindness and love in his eyes, and it was enough to make him say what he was thinking.

"I want a ba ba."

He was surprised at Mokuba's request, but didn't show it. He didn't know why he seemed so embarrassed by the request (considering everything else he'd asked for) until he realized that this was the first time he'd ever asked for that particular item. Seto smiled at his brother and set him in his crib.

"Okay. You wait here and I'll fix you a bottle. Do you want milk?"

Mokuba nodded, and stuck his pacifier in his mouth.

"I'll be right back." Kaiba promised, taking a bottle from below the changing table and going out to the kitchen. Mokuba sat there playing with his bear until the door opened again.

Seto put the bottle down for a minute, picked up his brother, and sat in the rocking chair to feed him. Mokuba removed his pacifier and started happily suckling on the bottle. Kaiba was just content to see his brother happy, safe, and calm. To him, there was no greater gift than that. These small intimate moments of bonding in their relationship meant everything to him. It proved to him that this was a role he was meant to play, and that even though his brother was older now, that he would always need him, no matter how old he got.

As he watched him drink his bottle, he noticed he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. He started stroking his hair and humming absently, watching his brother's eyes beginning to droop and his suckling beginning to slow. When he was certain that he was about to be completely asleep, he carefully removed the nipple from between his brother's lips and replaced it with his pacifier. Seto saw him smile slightly from behind the object, and snuggle deeper into his big brother, who had become so much more than that to him in those past weeks. In a contented sigh that he almost missed, he heard the whisper:

"I wuv you, Daddy."

He felt a lump form in his throat to match the tears welling up in his eyes and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I love you too, buddy."


	16. Discovered

**Author's Note: Thanks to Dark Yugi for reviewing! Please please please make an account so I can message you and thank you personally! This chapter was written especially for you!**

The next day Seto picked up Mokuba after school and they went to the police station together. Seto went inside first, with Mokuba trailing behind him, clutching the tail end of his jacket like a frightened child would a security blanket. He checked in at the front desk and took a hold of Mokuba's hand, leading him to the interrogation room with as much gentleness as he could muster while still maintaining his cold-as-ice attitude toward everyone else. When they arrived, the officer asked if he wanted his brother to stay, and Mokuba nodded vigorously before explaining what had happened to him. Seto stood right by his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder in hopes of encouraging him when he got scared. A couple of times he clammed up, but when he looked up at his big brother for guidance and received a reassuring smile, he continued on.

Yugi had been in the lobby, writing his own statement of what had happened yesterday and saw the Kaiba brothers enter the police station. He had watched the interaction between the two of them, and couldn't help but think that something was off. Something he couldn't explain. Yami agreed with him, and together they made the decision to ask about it when they were done there.

When Mokuba finished his statement, Kaiba asked to speak with Cayman Jakobe as he was waiting in the jail cell. The officer agreed, remembering the request from two days earlier, and allowed him to see him through the cell bars. Kaiba stepped in front of his brother protectively as Jakobe came into view.

"Well, well, well. Seto Kaiba. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Kaiba stepped forward. "It's over, Jakobe. You tried to punish me for my Stepfather's mistake, but I outsmarted you. All your life you thought business was a game you could easily win, but you didn't count on me as your opponent. I have news for you, Cayman: life's a game, and you either win or lose at it. And yesterday, you lost. You lost everything you ever worked for, and for what? A little money? Was vengeance really worth your freedom? I guess you'll never know. But I know. I know that I will bring the long arm of the law down on you and press charges for every single act you committed. You may have made a lot of good business decisions in your life, but going after my family was the worst mistake you could have ever made, and I promise you that I won't rest until I know you and your little minions will never see the light of day again." He hissed. Satisfied at the outraged look on Jakobe's face, he took his little brother away from the man banging on the bars and yelling so loudly that it made even the well disciplined officers jump. With that, he helped Mokuba into the limo and got in himself before going home.

Yugi Moto had walked all the way to the gates of the Kaiba mansion. It was a long walk that drained him of his energy, but the curious desire to know what was going on with the two brothers trumped his exhaustion. True, maybe it wasn't any of his business, but the look on Mokuba's face when he entered the station was enough to make him afraid for the child. He discussed a good way to approach the subject with Yami, but didn't get far before the limousine pulled up to the gate. Kaiba, at the sight of his nemesis, got out of the car and came up to him.

"Yugi. What are you doing here?" It wasn't an angry sentence per se, but it wasn't hospitable in the least.

"I saw you and Mokuba down at the police station and I just wanted to make sure that you both were okay."

Kaiba was shocked that he hadn't seen him at the station, but supposed that he was simply paying so much attention to Mokuba that he hadn't noticed anyone else.

"We're fine. This does not concern you."

Yugi could see Mokuba peering through the tiny window crack, looking on with an innocent curiosity at the exchange. Kaiba noticed this and waved the driver through the gates.

Yugi looked at the house and watched Mokuba get out of the car, when he looked back expectantly at his brother. Seto gave Yugi one last hard look before going inside the gates and walking up the driveway. As Mokuba climbed up the front steps of the house, he slipped and fell down, scraping up his knees and one of his arms. The second he saw it, Kaiba ran toward his brother who was starting to cry, and picked him up with ease before taking him inside.

When Yugi saw that, it clicked.

The look on Mokuba's face earlier was that of a child, just like crying over a scraped knee. And, when Mokuba had come into the station, he had looked like a small child. The way Kaiba handled it could only have been described as a parental response to the cry. Even though Yugi didn't have all the facts right now, he was beginning to put two and two together. Kaiba's words echoed in his mind:

"this doesn't concern you."

And he was beginning to see why he was being pushed out.

Something had happened between them recently to make them closer than they had been before. But what? He didn't know. Maybe he wasn't supposed to know. He was about to leave when out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of something on the pavement that must have rolled out of the limo and stayed under it until it rolled into the driveway. The object was dark blue and small, and somewhat oval shaped. And when he picked it up off the ground, he couldn't believe what was in his hand.

It was a pacifier.

Yugi Moto had unknowingly stumbled across the Kaiba Brothers greatest secret. And now, he had to decide what to do with it.

 **Please Review!**


	17. Pact

**IMPORTANT Author's Note: Be sure that you read yesterday's extra chapter before you read this one!**

 **Today's chapter is dedicated to SB-129. Thanks for your reviews and for all your help in keeping me inspired!**

Kaiba carried Mokuba inside the house and personally cleaned and bandaged his wounds. He had given him a towel to bite down on as he dabbed each cut with disinfectant and then put band aids over them. When all was said and done, he took his little brother to the nursery and settled him down for a nap. He grabbed him a pacifier from the stash under the changing table and slipped it into his mouth as he started to suck. When he was sure Mokuba was asleep, he went into his study for some peace and solitude. Unfortunately, peace had become very elusive to him that afternoon, and it all had to do with Yugi Moto.

The fact that they were already enemies was enough to make him crazy, but the fact that he was so nice all the time was infuriating. He'd rather him have an attitude like Wheeler's- at least then he knew how to deal with it. He sat there for a minute, unsure of how to deal with the possibility that Yugi could somehow uncover the secret he had worked so hard to keep. This life he had worked so hard to build for his little brother could come crashing down, all because of Yugi. It made him so frustrated. He was a man who loved control. The ability to control and manipulate a situation is one of the many things that made him a good business man. So when things were out of his control it made him feel powerless. But one thing was for sure- he would be having a little talk with Yugi tomorrow. He finally started working and only stopped when Mokuba awoke.

Yugi Moto lay in his bed later that evening, unable to sleep as the days events circled round in his head. Little snippets flashed before his eyes- the look on Mokuba's face, the steeliness in Kaiba's voice, the sound of Mokuba's wail, and his own shock at finding the pacifier. He looked at the small thing in his hand. It was simple, plain, and unassuming. If someone had found it in the street they would have probably guessed that it belonged to an infant. But Yugi knew better. How long, he wondered, had this been going on? And how deep did it run? There were so many questions left unanswered. He looked over and saw Yami sitting on the bed.

"Having trouble getting to sleep?" He asked. Yugi nodded.

"I just can't stop thinking about what happened today."

"It is a rather unique situation." He commented.

"Yes it is."

"You'll have to be cautious about this when you speak to Kaiba about this tomorrow."

"I know."

"Is something else troubling you, then?"

Yugi sighed. "I just feel torn. Kaiba said it himself- it isn't my business, but I can't just let this go either."

"Yes. It is difficult. But you'll find a middle ground. You always do. And should you need me, I'll be there."

Yugi smiled. "Thanks."

Yami nodded, then disappeared back into the puzzle.

The next morning, Kaiba was just as eager to speak to Yugi as he was to speak to Kaiba. Unfortunately, school interrupted the pending confrontation between the two and they had to wait until lunch to finally speak to one another. In the cafeteria, Yugi spied Kaiba waiting across the room from him and saw that he was motioning him over. So before he went to get lunch, he went over to at least speak with Seto Kaiba about yesterday's events.

"Hello, Yugi." Came the smooth voice, coupled with a cold expression.

"Hello, Kaiba." He reached into his pocket and handed Kaiba the pacifier. "I think this might have fallen out of your car yesterday, and I wanted to give it back personally."

Kaiba didn't even look down. He knew what was in his hand just by the feel of it, and slipped it into his own pocket. His eyes sharpened into daggers as he looked at him. His cold demeanor only grew more icy.

"How much do you know?" He asked sharply.

"I figured it out when you carried Mokuba inside. When I found that it was just a confirmation of what I already knew. But I won't tell anyone about it."

"Look Yugi, you're a good duelist and because of that you have earned my respect. But just because I respect you doesn't mean that I trust you, so I want to make something very clear to you. If you destroy what I have worked so hard to build, If you speak to my brother about this in any way, If you so much as breathe a word about this to anyone- I don't care if it's your grandfather or any of your friends- I will make it my personal mission to destroy you. I will make sure you regret ever saying anything. And when you look at the ruins that were once your life, I will make sure you know that it didn't have to be that way- I will tell you that you made the choice that brought you there that day- and I'll be right. Am I making myself absolutely clear?"

Yugi nodded. "Can l ask you a question, though?"

"What?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Kaiba glanced around quickly to make sure no one was watching.

"My brother didn't get a childhood. He's been having a hard time right now and this is helping him. So if it helps, I'm all for it."

Yugi nodded. "I know it's not any of my business, but you're a good brother, Kaiba. And don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

Just then, both of them noticed Joey coming over.

"Is there a problem here, Yug?"

"No Joey. Everything's fine. We were just talking about having another dueling match."

"Sounds fun. I'll definitely be there. Now come on, Tristan and Tèa are waiting for you!"

With that, Joey led his friend away, but Yugi looked back one last time and gave Kaiba a reassuring nod. His secret was safe with him.

 **Please Review!**


	18. Demons Of The Past

About a week later, Kaiba finally had his day in court to officially adopt his baby brother as his own. They both took the day off from school and work to celebrate. They started with getting breakfast at a nearby restaurant, and then were driven to the courthouse for their appointment with the judge that was an hour away. Once they arrived, they were instructed to wait outside the door. The wait was long and bothersome for both brothers but especially for Mokuba, who had already wet his diaper. Kaiba had assured him that he would be Changed as soon as they got to the car. When they were finally called in, it was two in the afternoon- their appointment had been for twelve.

Judge Carter was an older man in his late sixties with a kind smile and twinkling eyes. He was absolutely delighted to see the two brothers so obviously close with one another. It was his great pleasure to slam his gavel down and officially make them father and son. For both boys there was no better feeling than to at last be who they had always seen the other as on the inside and bringing it outside. The two of them shared a loving embrace before deciding to head out to the limo, Mokuba holding Seto's hand.

They went down the steps and were about to get into the car when they heard an eerily familiar laugh. They both turned around, and there he stood on the front steps of the courthouse.

Gozaburo Kaiba.

Seto could feel a slight tug on his arm, and knew that Mokuba had moved to hide behind him but hadn't wanted to let go of his hand. He gave Mokuba's hand a gentle and reassuring squeeze before letting go. Seto kept his expression cold and detached, not noticing that Yugi and his friends happened to be walking by at that exact moment.

"What are you doing here, Gozaburo?"

"Take a guess."

"Just cut the crap and tell me!" He demanded, not willing to listen to him on this special day.

"I can't come look in on my boys?"

Seto could hear Mokuba whimper softly at the comment, and he crouched down slightly, preparing to spring if needed to protect him.

"We haven't been your boys at any time. Now what are you really doing here?! I don't have time for your ridiculous banter!"

"Oh, but Seto! I thought you liked playing games. That's why you restructured my company, right? To play your silly games. So I have a game for you. I thought you might like to play one with dear old Dad."

"You're not my father! And besides, I know the law! You abandoned us, and the act of abandonment automatically labels the parent unfit. But maybe I should be thanking you. Because of that, I have a son of my own, and I'm twice the father you'll ever be!"

"But how can you possibly be a good father if you're unable to protect your child?"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

With a snap of his fingers, Gozaburo watched with malicious glee as two hulking bodyguards he hired surprised Mokuba and picked him up by the arms. He started thrashing and kicking and screaming but it was no good. They were too strong. Kaiba could feel the fear threatening to strangle him to death as Mokuba was brought to Gozaburo's side. When Gozaburo put a hand on his shoulder, Seto was frothing at the mouth with anger. Mokuba didn't think he'd ever been so frightened in his entire life. He didn't notice that he was wetting himself again. His diaper, already used once, was in danger of leaking and sure enough did after a few seconds, Staining his jeans. Seto noticed, and all he could think about was that it made him look like the little boy he truly was on the inside.

"I'm only going to say this once, old man! Get your filthy hands off of my son!"

"Not until you give me back what's rightfully mine!"

"I earned the rights to Kaiba Corp myself! I worked under you for so long and then overthrew you when the time was right! You have no one to blame for this but yourself!"

"One more word like that and you can say goodbye to your baby brother!"

Kaiba's newfound paternal instincts were running wild through his mind and body. He knew he had to act and he had to do it now. He looked up at Mokuba, who was crying and looking at him with a pleading expression. That did it. The adrenaline rushed through his body and he ran at Gozaburo with everything he had. The force seemed so great that the bodyguards dropped Mokuba and went straight for Kaiba, giving Mokuba the chance to run to the bottom of the steps.

Kaiba knocked Gozaburo back several feet and turned to see the two thugs coming at him from opposite sides. He swept the leg out from underneath one and watched as their heads collided with one another. Ignoring them, Kaiba went to Gozaburo and put one foot up on his chest like a conqueror would while calling the police. Just before they arrived, Kaiba got right up in Gozaburo's face.

"If you ever try and come after me or my son again, I won't be nice enough to let you live."

With that, the police arrived. He gave his statement as quickly as possible before running down the steps to Mokuba, who leapt into his arms, crying.

"Daddy," he whimpered sadly, sticking his thumb in his mouth.

"I know, buddy. Come on. Let's get you changed and cleaned up." He said, getting into the limo. After he got him changed and out of his wet pants, he made sure that they were in the complete privacy of their home before carrying him into the nursery in nothing but a shirt and diaper.

He had been so focused on his son that he didn't realize that Yugi and his friends had seen everything- and now they were coming to the manor in search of answers.

 **please review!**


	19. Overcome

**Author's Note: Today's Chapter is dedicated to MagicWolfPup. Thanks for the review!**

Kaiba carried Mokuba to the changing table, cleaned him up with a wet rag, and got him dressed in a warm footed sleeper before settling in to the rocking chair with his son in his lap. His cries were heart wrenching to hear, but he knew that it was better for him to get it all out now so that he wouldn't suffer anymore later. Seto just sat there stroking his hair and was quiet for a long time. He knew there wasn't anything he could say to help this new wound heal, but he hoped the action he took was louder than any words he could have spoken.

After a while, he calmed down enough to speak.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Arms hurt."

Seto carefully rolled up his sleeves to see matching bruises on both of his arms. Just seeing them broke his heart.

"Looks like you have a few bruises. But don't worry, they'll be gone in a few days. Okay, bud?"

Mokuba nodded solemnly, but still looked upset.

"What's the matter?" He asked, quietly.

"Daddy, I no baby, I big boy."

Of all the things he thought might come out of his mouth, that was definitely not what he was expecting. He knew he had to tread carefully here if he wanted to get to the root of the problem.

"Of course you're a big boy. I know that and you know that, don't you?" Mokuba nodded. "Then why do you feel like you need to act like a big boy all of a sudden if we both know you are one?"

"I want bad Daddy be wrong."

That stumped him more than he wanted to admit.

"What do you mean?"

"He said "baby brother"."

It took Kaiba a second to catch on, but then he remembered that Gozaburo had said something about him being a baby brother in a very condescending way. Then it clicked completely.

"So you want to prove him wrong and be a big boy because he said something mean to you."

Mokuba nodded, glad that Seto understood what he meant. Kaiba took a minute to figure out what to say, but he did get an idea and it was, of course, brilliant.

"Mokuba, do you think I love you?" He asked. Mokuba nodded vigorously. Of course he did. "Do you think I would do anything for you?" Again, he nodded. "Do you think I care about your happiness?" More nodding. Seto paused for effect. "Do you think Gozaburo loves you?" Mokuba shook his head no. "Do you think he would do anything for you?" Again, no. "Do you think he cares about your happiness?"

"No."

"So if he doesn't love you, wouldn't do anything for you, and doesn't care about your happiness, why do you care about what he thinks? If you ask me, he doesn't deserve your thoughts. The only people who do are the ones who you know care about you. Does that make sense?"

Mokuba nodded and gave him a hug. "Thank you, Daddy."

Kaiba smiled. "Always."

Rather quickly, Mokuba fell asleep in his arms. Seto carefully placed him in his crib and tucked him in. Kissing his forehead tenderly, he put up the side of the crib before going out of the room and into his study to catch up on as much of his work as possible. It was still easy for him to get lost in his work, but ever since he had taken Mokuba in as his own child, there was an extra sense that hadn't been there before. It was an instinct as primal as time itself that let him know when Mokuba was asleep and awake, and when something was wrong. It connected them across distance and time in a way that he didn't think science could explain. That sense, so instinctive and all-knowing, sent out a very low-key alert when Hobson knocked on his door and told him he had visitors. Unamused at his work being interrupted, he went into the parlor and was shocked to see Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tèa sitting on his couch.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. The words were intended to be cold and harsh, but the shock softened them to an emotionless sentence.

"We saw what happened at the courthouse and wanted to make sure you were okay." Said Yugi.

"I'm fine."

"Maybe you are, but Mokuba sure didn't look fine." Said Tristan.

"Yeah, poor kid looked awful when you got into that limo." Added Joey.

Kaiba almost winced. He didn't want to think about the demons his brother had to face today.

"We just wanted to see if there was anything we could do to help." Tèa finished.

As much as Kaiba wanted to shake these people, yell at them till he was blue in the face, and kick them out of his house, he found himself oddly moved by their concern for his son.

"I'm sure Mokuba would appreciate that you came by, but he isn't awake right now to see you and won't be for a long time." He said, restraining himself from his anger. Joey was honestly surprised at the politically correct answer. He didn't think Kaiba had it in him. But he wasn't satisfied.

"Let's cut to the chase- we all saw the way he acted right before you got in your car. We just wanna know what's up."

"That's none of your business, Wheeler!" He hissed, anger seeping through the calm façade.

"What's a matter, Kaiba? Scared?"

"Joey-" Yugi tried to intervene, but Joey had already poked the lion with a stick. Kaiba's voice was eerily calm.

"You can either be quiet, or you will leave my house. You're pushing your luck as it is. And if you wake him up, I will make you regret it. Am I clear?"

Just before Joey could get a response out, Kaiba's paternal instincts went crazy inside of him. His eyes sharpened and he cursed quietly under his breath just before Mokuba let out a wail. Seto made a mad dash up the stairs. The rest of them stared after him, shocked. Kaiba never backed down from a direct challenge. But clearly something else was far more important. Slowly, they all made their way up the stairs and followed the sound of the cries. The door was just slightly ajar.

They walked in to see Kaiba sitting in a nursery with Mokuba in his lap.

 **A/N: Today may possibly be a double chapter day. I'm not sure if it will get done, but I'll try my best! So come check back every few hours to see! Please Review!**


	20. Repercussions

**I promised and I delivered! Enjoy this chapter!**

Seto burst through the door of the nursery to see Mokuba crying in his crib. He lowered the bar and gently shook his shoulder to awake him. When his eyes opened and he saw his father Standing over him he calmed down immensely. Seto picked him up and settled him in his lap.

"What's the matter, buddy?"

"Daddy..." Came the whimper. Kaiba's hold on him tightened.

"What is it?" He tried again.

Mokuba clung to his shirt, clearly frightened. "Bad dreams."

That much he had been able to figure out. He started stroking his hair gently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Mokuba shook his head and cried into his father's chest. Seto, so concerned with his son, failed to notice the four people watching him from the doorway, all of them flummoxed by what they saw. Well, all except for Yugi, of course. This just answered his recurring question of how deep this arrangement ran. For him, it was sort of like closing a book. All his questions had been satisfied. For the others, it seemed to open one.

Joey was in the most shock. To see Kaiba affectionate to anybody gave him the same feeling as seeing teachers outside of school. It was just weird. But seeing him sitting in a nursery with his little brother calling him "Daddy" was beyond weird. He didn't think he actually had a good word for that feeling. It was the strangest cocktail of curiosity, shock, confusion, and an inability to process what he was seeing. To his own surprise, he remained quiet.

Tristan was in much the same boat as Joey, although it was slightly easier for him to take in what he was seeing. He didn't have Joey's blind hatred for Kaiba. It didn't necessarily take the weirdness away from the situation, but it did make keeping a clear head a little bit easier.

Tèa was the most open minded to what she saw. Was it surprising? Sure. Weird? A little. But understandable. Perfectly understandable. She could see that what was going on was a matter of security, and that was something she understood. She smiled slightly. It was actually sort of cute now that she was thinking about it. She looked over to Yugi who was watching them silently.

Kaiba rubbed circles around on his back, not noticing that he was curled over his son protectively as he hushed him quietly. Feeling anxious, he lifted Mokuba into his arms and then set him on his hip and started bouncing him up and down as he walked around the room. He felt Mokuba bury his face into the crook of his neck. Finally, he started to calm down enough to speak clearly.

"Daddy?"

"Hmmm?"

"Beary?"

Kaiba glanced back at the crib and saw the beloved stuffed animal on the floor right next to it. He bent down, picked it up, and handed it to his son, who had his bear secure in one hand, and had the other arm wrapped around his father's neck with his thumb set firmly in his mouth.

"Better?" He asked hopefully. Mokuba nodded. "Do you want to try and go back to sleep?" Mokuba shook his head no violently. "Why not?"

Mokuba mumbled something unintelligible. Seto sat back down in the rocking chair, arms fatigued from holding him so long.

"What was that?" Mokuba looked up at him and said it again. "Daddy's not understanding you, buddy. Speak up so I can hear you."

"I no wanna have bad dreams." He said, meekly.

Seto smiled at him. "What if I told you I could make them go away?"

Mokuba nodded his approval. When Kaiba turned toward the door, everyone gathered in front of it scampered away quietly. Kaiba went down the hall to his room, took a shirt from his drawer, and sprayed it with a cologne he wore all the time before taking it back to the nursery. He laid Mokuba back down in his crib and put the shirt on his bear.

"Now beary and I can fight off the bad dreams together."

Mokuba smiled sleepily as Seto started to hum to him. When he was certain he was asleep, his body sagged with the weight of all of the stress on his shoulders. His brain was fried. Today had leeched him of his energy. And to think it was supposed to be a joyful one- now it would be forever tainted by the memory of Gozaburo trying to take away something he didn't earn. He shut the door and passed Hobson in the hall.

"Shall I fetch you some chamomile tea, Sir?"

"Whatever it is, make it a double."

"Very good, sir."

He was about to go lie down when he remembered that he had company waiting for him. Shit. He didn't want to deal with this today. But, unfortunately, he had no choice. He stood more up rightly and arranged his face into an emotionless mask before he finally went into the parlor to see four faces staring at him. from the way they were starting, they all had seen what had happened. He sat at his rightful place in the couch in front of them.

"What do you want to know?" He decided he might as well get all the questions out of the way first.

"What's goin' on here?!" Said Joey, miffed. Kaiba sighed.

"I'll explain it to you- but only if you sign a non disclosure agreement saying that you'll never repeat this to anyone."

All of them signed and he explained everything that had happened from the very first accident to the events of this morning. There were a few questions in between, but mostly they listened to the story. As he finished, Hobson brought him his tea and he took a sip, calming him down.

"You did something good for your brother-er son. Makes me wonder if I would do the same for my little sister." Said Joey.

"I'm sure you would, Joey." Said Yugi.

"As far as the public knows, he's still my brother. Only his teachers, doctors, and the staff here know otherwise."

"You know something like this won't stay secret for long." Said Tristan.

"Maybe so. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." His gaze sharpened. "I trust you won't be saying anything about what you saw here, or else I will make sure you have no future here."

"Your secret is safe with us." Said Tèa.

"I may not like you, but I get protecting your brother. I won't say anything." Joey added.

"Same here." Said Tristan.

"Me too." Commented Yugi.

Kaiba almost smiled, and then escorted his guests out the door before falling into an exhausted sleep.

 **Please Review!**


	21. Last Resort

**Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed yesterday's double chapter! And I hope you'll all enjoy this one too!**

When Seto awoke two hours later, he hoped the worst of the day was now behind him. He could tell that Mokuba was still asleep and was going to check on him. He tried to sit up when a pain in his stomach brought him swiftly back down to his pillow. What the heck was that? He took a minute to take stock of his body. His stomach hurt like hell and he felt nauseous. Plus he was freezing cold despite being under several blankets. He figured it might be the beginnings of food poisoning and made a mental note to take legal action against the restaurant the two of them had gone to for breakfast that morning.

He lay very still in his bed, afraid to move and hurt himself even more. As the minutes passed he noticed that the pain seemed to be moving from his navel and down more toward his abdomen. Something wasn't right here. As quickly as he tried to figure it out, his paternal instincts flared up and told him that Mokuba was awake and would likely be expecting him shortly. Despite the pain, he rolled out of bed and got shakily to his feet, doubled over in half as the pain grew worse. Slowly, he made his way to the nursery. He didn't think that the walk there had ever been so long or arduous. When he got closer to the door he could hear Mokuba crying. For a few seconds his paternal instincts overrode the pain and he got inside.

He used every last bit of strength he had to let down the crib bar before the pain overwhelmed him again and he collapsed to the floor.

"Daddy!" Came the panicked cry and Mokuba jumped out of the crib and sat beside him. He shook his shoulder softly. Seto looked up at him, trying to be reassuring despite the fact that the pain was chipping away at his bravery.

"I'll be okay, but I need you to listen very carefully, okay, buddy?" Said Kaiba, gently. Mokuba nodded, eyes wide as he wiped his nose with his hand, sniffling. "I need you to go get the phone and call 911, then bring a few of the servants back to help me get to the couch. Can you do that for me?" Mokuba nodded and did exactly as he asked before helping move him to the couch. Seto took the nursery key from his pocket and handed it to his son. "You need to keep the key while I'm gone, and I'll call you when I find out what's wrong."

"I wanna go with you." He whimpered.

"I know you do, but if something's wrong I need you here to hold down the fort until I come back." He said, squeezing his hand. The front door was already open when the medics came in with a gurney and strapped him in. He made sure his cell phone was in his pocket before they wheeled him into the ambulance. The last thing he saw before they shut the doors was Mokuba's tear-stained face. They asked him questions about himself and his condition and he did his best to answer them. It wasn't until they got to the questions about pain that he really paid attention.

"Where is the pain?" He pointed to his abdomen.

"Does it radiate?"

"Yes."

"Intensity on a scale of 1-10?"

"Ten."

"Is it dull or sharp?"

"Sharp."

"Does it go away or is it constant?"

"Constant."

"Does it hurt more or less when inhaling/exhaling?"

"More."

"If you change position does that help?"

"No."

"Have you ever had appendicitis?"

"No."

When they arrived they swept him to the ER and the doctor started examining him. He pushed gently on Seto's abdomen and watched his body go rigid as the pain sharpened to an unbearable point.

"Mr. Kaiba, you're suffering from appendicitis. We caught it in the early stages but we still need to get you prepped for surgery immediately before your appendix bursts."

"Fine, but I need to make a call first."

The doctor nodded, and he called home. Mokuba, who had stationed himself by the phone with only his bear as company was quick to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey bud."

"Daddy! What happened? Are you okay?"

"Daddy's got appendicitis, so I'm going in for surgery. But don't worry. I'll be fine." He promised, hoping it would be true. He could practically see Mokuba's broken hearted face in his mind, and it absolutely broke his heart.

"Do you promise?" He asked in a meek voice that almost instantly choked him up.

"I promise."

"Okay. Bye bye Daddy. Feel better."

"Bye buddy." He said, and then hung up. It took him about two seconds to realize that Mokuba needed someone there with him tonight. He couldn't just leave him there by himself. The servants were fine at doing their respective jobs (and that was why he paid them), but none of them truly cared about his son. He needed someone who cared for him enough to meet his needs. Only nobody knew about those specific needs.

Nobody, that is, except for four other people.

Seto went back and forth with himself about doing this for a good minute or so, but it came down to the fact that he knew he had to get ready for surgery right then and there. He was absolutely terrified over what he was about to do, but he knew it was something that was necessary. Someone had to look after his brother while he could not. Feeling a deep sense of urgency that could not be quelled, he started dialing the number he had hoped he would never had to use. His finger hovered over the call button as what he was about to do sank in.

Swallowing every last bit of his pride, he hit the call button and listened as his phone dialed the only person that could possibly help him in this situation: Yugi Moto.

 **Please Review!**


	22. Trust

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update but something major happened in another fandom of mine today and I had to take the time to deal with the resulting feels. But I didn't forget this fic! I promise! Enjoy this chapter!**

 **oh, and Dark Yugi, you were almost right. Almost...**

When Yugi got a call in the middle of the evening, he honestly thought it was Joey calling about some new dueling strategy or maybe Tèa asking if he wanted to go out for coffee tomorrow. He didn't dare think it would be Seto Kaiba calling to ask for his help. If he had been drinking water he would have spit it out all over himself. But once he heard the situation at hand, there was no other choice for him but to help. So he said goodbye to his grandfather for the evening and headed over to the Kaiba mansion.

As much as Kaiba wanted to ask somebody- anybody else- for help, he knew that this was the only person who could help. He had discussed Yugi knowing their secret earlier in the previous week. And, as difficult as it was for him to grasp that someone outside of their family now knew their secret, Mokuba was glad it was Yugi. He was a trustworthy person. Kaiba, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. But he had to trust him- no matter how much he didn't want to. As he lay in the bed, trying to grasp what was happening, his worries circled around over and over again in his head. Seto was still in agony as they tried to put him to sleep with anesthesia. He had never been one to show pain, but this was a gnawing, grueling, unexplainable pain that tormented his entire body. As he fell asleep, the last thought he had was hoping that his trust wasn't misplaced.

Mokuba was sitting on the floor in the living room, cuddling with his bear and sucking on his pacifier. Trying to come to terms with his first night without his father. Wherever they went they did it together. The only reason he hadn't gone with him was at his father's insistence. Kaiba didn't want his son to see him in such a vulnerable position. He feared that if he did he would seem less strong. He was supposed to protect his son in any circumstances, and this was no exception.

The phone rang, and Mokuba jumped at the sudden noise, then answered it.

"Hello?"

"Mokuba?"

"Oh. Hi, Yugi."

"Hey. Your Dad called and asked me if I would check up on you, so I wanted to let you know I was coming."

Mokuba was about to protest when he realized that if Yugi didn't come over he would be all alone, and his fear was greater than his possible embarrassment.

"Okay."

"Great. I'll see you soon!"

"Okay, bye."

Mokuba let the servants know who was coming, and then returned to his spot on the floor. The TV was on and blaring, but it held no interest for him. He squeezed his bear tightly, feeling teary as the night wore on. There were things they always did together in the evening that he longed for now. They always had dinner together, then watched TV together or played a game. Then when it got closer to his bedtime Seto always read him a story after helping to get him ready for bed. Then he always got tucked into bed with extra love and care. He missed it so much already, and the night had barely started.

Yugi arrived shortly after, and was yet again daunted by the sheer size of the manor. It didn't take him long to see Mokuba, sitting with his bear and looking like he was about to cry. This saddened both Yami and Yugi, and they both agreed to help if needed. He moved and sat with him on the floor.

"Hey Mokuba. You okay?"

"Just a little sad."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Mokuba's hold on his bear tightened. "I just want my Daddy."

Yugi put an arm around him. "I'm sure he misses you too."

Mokuba sighed. "I just wish I could be there, but he said no."

"I'm sure he had a good reason."

"I know, I'm just sad."

"Maybe we could do something together to get your mind off of things."

"Like what?"

"Whatever you want to do. Pick something- anything you want, and I'll do it with you." Said Yugi, trying to sound encouraging. Mokuba smiled a tiny, wan smile, and showed him some of the toys he had in his room. As they played, he told him about all the things his father did for him every night. For Yugi, it really brought home the idea he had that Kaiba wasn't as heartless as he portrayed himself to be.

Soon, it was getting time for Mokuba to get to bed, so Yugi read him a story and wished him goodnight. Instead of going home, he stayed in a guest room. He didn't want Mokuba to wake up by himself. He couldn't exactly pinpoint why he felt the need to help, but he knew that he was doing the right thing.

It was approximately two hours before Seto Kaiba got out of surgery and was moved to the recovery ward. He opened his eyes to the blinding fluorescent lights of the hospital and instantly turned his face away. He opened his eyes just long enough to see the clock on the wall. It was midnight. Mokuba would have gone to bed two hours ago. At the thought of his son he instinctively groped for his cell phone, but it wasn't there. He shut his eyes, succumbing to the exhaustion inside of him. He tried to picture something happy: Mokuba playing with his toys, Mokuba sleeping peacefully, Mokuba talking to his bear, but all he could do was worry about if his decision was the right one. He almost never second guessed himself, but everything that had occurred today was making him doubt everything. Gozaburo, his secret revealed to Yugi's friends, and the horrible appendicitis that had brought him here. The best day of his life had turned into his worst before his very eyes. As the darkness quickly closed in on him, the last thought he could manage before oblivion took him away was a simple prayer.

 _Just let him be alright. Please just let him be alright._

 **Please Review!**


	23. Time

Seto awoke with a start the next morning. It took him a minute to orient himself again, but once he did it calmed him quickly. The first thought on his mind, of course, his son, and he looked up at the clock. It was six fifteen in the morning. Mokuba would be getting up pretty soon. He sighed and rolled onto his side. There was a bedside table next to him. On it was his cell phone. He looked inside the one drawer and found a small bible inside, which surprised him considering that most hospitals he knew weren't particularly religious. Maybe someone had left it there by mistake. He pulled it out and opened the front cover, and saw writing on the blank page.

To whomever finds my bible: may it bring you comfort in times of distress. Matt 11:28-30

Curious, Kaiba flipped to the verse in question and began to read.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

He shut the book after that. He was sure it was supposed to seem comforting, but he had bigger things to worry about now. He put it back in the drawer. Maybe somebody with greater faith would have more use of it.

The doctor came in a few minutes later to examine him.

"Doctor Kunai, when can I leave here?"

"Usually recovering from appendicitis means one or two days in the hospital, depending on how your symptoms clear."

"And your prognosis?"

"Are you able to drink?"

"Yes."

"And take pain medication?"

"Yes."

The doctor put a thermometer in his ear. When he took it out, it read 99.2.

"As soon as your fever clears completely, you're free to go."

Seto sighed and fell back onto his pillow.

It was going to be a long day.

Mokuba woke up for the umpteenth time and looked around frantically, eyes landing on the clock. It was six thirty. He was supposed to get up at six forty-five- but hey, why not now? It wasn't like he was going to be sleeping anyways. He had woken up almost every hour on the hour and had cried himself back to sleep each time, breathing in the scent of his bear that still smelled of his father's cologne. He thought spending the night without his father was going to be a challenge, but he didn't think it was going to be that hard!

He got up, showered, and dressed rather quickly. When he came downstairs breakfast was on the table and Yugi was sitting at it, much to Mokuba's surprise.

"Hi Yugi." He said, trying not to sound shocked. Yugi smiled warmly at him.

"Hey, Mokuba. I hope you don't mind that I stayed the night."

"I don't mind at all. I was just wondering why you were still here."

Yugi went over and put a hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"I know what it felt like when Pegasus took my Grandpa. I felt so alone even though I had my friends. I don't want you to feel the same."

Mokuba smiled up at him. "Thank you."

"No problem!"

They both went back to the table together and ate their breakfasts when all of a sudden the phone rang. Mokuba found it strange, since no one ever called at this hour. It was only when Hobson told him that it was his father that he snatched the phone from his hand and began to pay attention.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mokie."

The use of the old nickname made him smile.

"Hi Daddy."

"How are you today?" He asked.

"I'm okay. When are you coming home?" He asked, trying not to sound whiny even though he knew he was upset.

"I'll be home by tomorrow at the very latest." Mokuba frowned. It might as well have been an eternity it seemed so far away.

"But I want you home now!" He cried. Seto winced.

"I know. I want to be there too." He waited a second before changing the subject. "How was your time with Yugi?" He crossed his fingers and hoped for the best.

"We had lots of fun!" He said, happily.

"You did?" Kaiba didn't bother to hide his surprise.

"Yeah! Can he come over again sometime?"

"If that makes you happy."

"Do you wanna talk to him?"

"He's still there?"

"Uh huh."

"Put him on."

"Hello, Kaiba."

Instantly Kaiba's demeanor hardened. "Hello Yugi. It seems my son has taken a liking to you. I'm impressed."

"Thank you."

"Would you be willing to stay with him until I'm released tomorrow?"

"Sure. Whatever you need."

"Thank you."

"Of course." He handed the phone back to Mokuba.

"I have to go to school now, Daddy."

"Okay buddy. Have a good day, okay? I'll call when you come back."

"Okay. Bye bye, Daddy!" He said sweetly.

"Bye bud."

With that, Mokuba headed off to school and Kaiba sadly ended the call.

He was so used to being needed that being useless even for a few days was excruciatingly painful. He wanted to be with his son so badly, but had tripped over his own pride and wouldn't let him see him. He told himself that it was the only way to keep the image of himself strong for Mokuba. But deep down he knew that he was lying to himself. He was just too stubborn to admit it to himself or anyone else. Even worse was that now his son was getting attached to Yugi Moto of all people, but he supposed it could have been worse. At least he had done the job he had been assigned. He was grateful for that. With a sigh, he put the phone on the table and turned on the TV.

It was going to be a very long day.


	24. School

When Mokuba got to school that morning, it seemed like all of the kids were talking about their Dads just to spite him. There was a big father/son picnic coming up that weekend and all the boys were buzzing about it. He trudged through the halls with a heavy heart and a lump in his throat that he couldn't seem to get rid of until class started. Salvation came in the form of Reading class, and he happily got lost in the world of the book they had been assigned. Next up after that was math class, but he found it difficult to stomach when he remembered all the times his father had helped him with his math homework. When that was over it was time for writing, and then science, before it was time for recess.

Normally Mokuba was excited about recess. He could run around and burn some energy, and just be the kid he felt he was on the inside. But today was different. Today he watched the other kids having fun and sat by the doorway under the shade. He watched as a teacher and two aids led a class of kindergarteners outside and waited with them for their parents to pick them up. He watched as one by one they left, leaving the waiting group smaller and smaller until it didn't exist anymore. Some of the kids just got in the car, and he was fine with that, but others had a parent get out, come in front of the car, and open their arms to have a child run happily into them. Those were the ones that tore at his heart. He wanted that reunion so badly. Suddenly, the bell rang, and it was time for lunch.

He already had his lunch all packed in his lunch box. He looked around the cafeteria. Much like in high school they were separated by cliques- only the cliques weren't as set as they were in high school. Popular kids sat towards the front of the cafeteria. The further back you went the more unpopular you were. Mokuba felt himself to be somewhere in the middle. It wasn't necessarily that he was disliked by other kids, he just didn't know how to interact with them sometimes. Not wanting to brave the public or hear anything more about the upcoming father/son picnic, he took his lunch into one of the bathrooms and ate there alone, occasionally stopping eating to suck his thumb for comfort. When the bell rang again he threw out his trash and went back to class.

The day always ended with one of their specials classes (today it was art, tomorrow it was music) and after that social studies. Mokuba spent most of his time in art class drawing things that reminded him of his father. They were supposed to be doing watercolor paintings, so Mokuba painted them, although he would have rather been able to draw it with his favorite crayons. He drew duel monsters cards, his best version of a duel disk, and most importantly, a Blue Eyes White Dragon. When class was over he put the painting into his portfolio, and went back to his classroom. Social Studies went by agonizingly slow, and Mokuba kept looking at the clock every minute or two, impatiently waiting for the school day to end. When the last bell finally rang, he was the first one out the door. He ran down to the front of the campus and saw the limo waiting for him like always. He jumped inside and was finally able to be himself. Once the door was shut, he buckled himself in and curled up in the backseat, sucking on the pacifier he kept hidden in one of the seat pockets. He stayed like that until they were almost home. Then he cleaned it off, stuck it back in its hiding place, and went inside the house, immediately running upstairs and getting his bear and favorite pacifier. He breathed in the scent of cologne that lie in the bear's fur and felt his eyes start to pool with tears. He had been strong all day long. Now it was time to let go and be himself. He cuddled with his bear and started crying as loudly as he dared.

Meanwhile, Yugi had just gotten back to the manor from school when he heard the sobbing and went upstairs to see what was going on. He was wasn't surprised to see Mokuba on the floor, crying his eyes out. He set down his backpack and sat with him.

"Mokuba? What's wrong?" He asked, but the child was crying too hard to answer. "Are you hurt?" He shook his head no. "Are you hungry?" Again, no. "Then what is it?"

For a minute or two, he was still sobbing. "I-I just want my D-Daddy." He cried. Yugi tried to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he moved away from him and threw himself on the floor. All the emotions he had felt today had come to a head. His anger, frustration, sadness, hurt, and fear had boiled over until he was banging his fists on the floor, kicking as hard as he could, screaming angrily at the world.

It took Yugi a moment to realize that this was a temper tantrum, and that as long as he wasn't hurting himself, anything, or anyone else, he should just let him continue with it until he got it out of his system. The tantrum lasted a good twenty minutes before it finally came to an end. Mokuba was red in the face and coughing from crying so hard, but he felt much better. A few minutes after he calmed down, the phone rang. Mokuba grabbed it with a smile.

"Hi, Daddy."

After an hour long conversation, Mokuba hung up and curled up for an afternoon nap. Yugi, who had been there the whole time, made sure he was tucked in before going to do his homework. He smiled at the boy one last time before shutting the door and heading off to work.


	25. Home At Last

After talking to Mokuba on the phone for an hour, Kaiba kept compulsively checking the clock. Every minute seemed like an hour as the seconds slowly ticked away like sand in an hour glass. He could hear it in Mokuba's voice that he had been crying. He never said anything about it, but Seto could tell. He supposed it was a Dad thing. It didn't take much for him to figure out that he was probably crying because of him, and the thought was absolutely heartbreaking. He kept moving in his bed, trying to get comfortable, but comfort would not find him today.

A nurse came in to check on him and put a thermometer in his ear. When it beeped, she pulled it out and looked at it.

"99.1. Almost there." She said with an annoying smile. Kaiba felt like throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. Didn't these people understand that he had to work? That he had a job to do and a son to care for?! Kaiba had to stop and remind himself that to the general public Mokuba was still only his brother, but it was strange to think of him that way now. Almost taboo even. The more he stuck with that train of thought, the more he realized that it might be time to show the world the truth- and he knew exactly how to do it.

But before he could to any of that, he had to get out of this god forsaken hospital.

When Mokuba woke up from his nap he felt much better than he had earlier. His hands and feet were bruised and sore from his earlier tantrum, but otherwise he felt fine. His hands found his teddy bear and he snuggled it close before grabbing it's paw and going to look for Yugi. Yugi had just finished his homework when he heard the guest room door creak open. He smiled at the sight of Mokuba tiredly rubbing his eyes.

"Hey." He said, happily. Mokuba waved with his free hand, not wanting to take his pacifier out of his mouth. Yugi put his homework into his backpack before returning his attention to Mokuba. "What do you want to do?" He asked.

Mokuba was quiet for a minute. He shrugged. What was there to do anyways?

"We could draw, we could build something, we could play duel monsters..." He started listing off things to do in hopes of engaging him in something. Mokuba's eyes brightened and he went into his room and grabbed a coloring book and a pack of crayons from under his bed. He held them out proudly, and Yugi's smile widened.

"You want to color?" He asked. Mokuba nodded. "Alright. We can do that for a little bit."

Mokuba flipped to the page he'd been saving and carefully tore it out. It was a picture of a blue eyes white dragon, and he'd been waiting for the right time to color it and give it to his Daddy as a present. Excitedly, he started to color it, paying special attention to detail- what parts should be light blue, what parts should be white, and everything in between. He was extra careful to color inside all the lines. When he finished, he held it up with pride. It was absolutely perfect!

"Did you finish?" Asked Yugi, putting down a crayon. Mokuba nodded and handed him the picture. "Wow, Mokuba! That looks great!" He said enthusiastically. "It looks so real! Did you color this for your Dad?" He asked. Again, Mokuba nodded. "Well he's going to love it!" Yugi declared. Mokuba smiled, then took the page back to put in his bedside drawer for when he finally came home.

It was later in the evening, just after dinner, when the nurse came back in to check on him. She took his temperature and- at last!- declared him fit to go home. Seto smiled in his disbelief. After filling out a mountain of paperwork, he was finally able to go home. He didn't call to tell anyone, though. Instead he took a cab so that he could surprise them. He unlocked the front door as quietly as possible, then shut it. Then, he stealthily made his way upstairs and hid in his room to give his son the ultimate surprise. He took out his cell phone and called the house. Mokuba, seeing the caller ID, rushed to answer it.

"Hi Daddy!" He chirped happily.

"Hey there buddy. What are you up to?"

"I'm building a castle for beary."

"Really? That sounds fun. Where are you building it?"

"In my room."

Slowly, Kaiba started walking in that direction.

"I sure do miss you, bud."

"I miss you more!"

"I don't think that's possible."

"Yes it is!" He cried, indignant.

"I can't wait to see you."

"When are you coming home?" He asked, pouting.

"Sooner than you think."

This made Mokuba excited. "Really?!"

"Really." He promised. "If you could have anything in the world right now, what would it be?" He stood right at the bedroom door.

"You would be here." He whispered.

"I already am." Said a voice right behind him. Mokuba's head shot around so quickly Kaiba worried that he might have twisted his neck.

"Daddy!" He squealed and ran into Seto's waiting arms. As soon as he was safely in his grasp, Kaiba picked him up and settled him on his hip. Mokuba kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." He promised. Mokuba suddenly gasped as he remembered something, and squirmed in his father's arms until he let him down. He pulled out his bedside drawer, grabbed the colored drawing, and held it up to him, jumping up and down. Seto smiled and bent down to his level to see a perfectly colored picture of a blue eyes white dragon. "It's beautiful. Thank you." He said, clearly proud. Mokuba hopped back into his arms and cuddled him happily. Kaiba then turned his attention to Yugi, who was watching with a smile.

"Thank you, Yugi." He said, quietly. Yugi nodded.

"Anytime." And he sincerely meant it. He packed up his things and said goodbye to Mokuba before heading out the door to leave father and son to their time together.


	26. Reunited

Seto picked up his son and brought him into the nursery. He settled down in the rocking chair and was happy to let Mokuba cuddle with him for a while. The past two days had been pure hell, but now it was over, and they were together again like they should have been all along. Mokuba was busy telling him about everything he missed. He jabbered and chatted happily, just glad to see his father again as he snuggled into him. His story was interrupted by Hobson, who announced that it was time for dinner. Mokuba frowned at being interrupted but his stomach was growling, so he didn't argue.

Seto was happy to carry him out to the dining room and feed him his dinner. It felt good to him to finally be an active parent again. After a bowl of ice cream for dessert, Seto led him back to the nursery and, after changing his diaper, got him dressed in a comfortable footed sleeper. Mokuba was happy just to be with his father, and snuggled with him again. For a short while after Mokuba had finished his stories, there was a period of silence. Neither father nor son spoke, but they were both enjoying just being together again. After that Mokuba looked up at his father with big eyes and held up one of his favorite toys: a little ball that jingled and squeaked when squeezed. He crawled onto the floor and rolled it to him. Kaiba, not wanting to disappoint him, rolled it back. They continued like that for some time until Mokuba got bored. They spent the entire evening switching between different games. Neither of them really paid attention to what was going on. They were both just focused on seeing the other again.

Although Seto remained focused on his son, he kept the clock in mind too. Every so often he would look up and another hour had gone by in what seemed like an instant. The time seemed to be flying by, and before he knew it, it was getting close to Mokuba's bedtime. After a few more minutes of playing, Kaiba put the toy away, earning a pout from his young charge.

"Daddy," he whined, "mine."

"I know it's yours, buddy. But it's time to get ready for bed."

"No!" He cried, "Play." He looked up at his father with the most innocently adorable look in his Arsenal. His eyes were so wide Seto feared they might swallow him whole. It took him a second to remind himself of what he was doing and why he was doing it. His face grew stern.

"Mokuba," he said in a voice that meant business, "It's not playtime anymore. It's bedtime. Now you have a choice. You can get ready for bed like a good boy or you can go in time out."

Mokuba was very surprised by that. To be honest he didn't think his Daddy had it in him to discipline him when he looked like this. He knew Daddy meant what he said, but Mokuba had inherited his father's stubbornness and wasn't about to go down without a fight. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"No bed!" He cried. Seto was disappointed to say the least. He had hoped his son would be a little more cooperative, but knew now that he had to follow through with what he said. He picked him up (not without resistance) and set him in the corner of the room.

"You're in time out for three minutes." He said. Mokuba tried to run out over and over again, but Seto kept putting him back until he stayed. Mokuba cried quietly the whole time but stayed put. The sound broke Kaiba's heart but he knew he had to stay firm. When the three minutes were up, he went to get his son out of the corner and bent down to his level.

"Do you know why you were in time out?" He asked.

Mokuba nodded, sniffling. "No bed?"

"That's right. Are you going to be a good boy now?" He asked. Mokuba nodded.

"Yes Daddy. I sorry." He said, giving his father a hug. Kaiba breathed a sigh of relief. The worst was over.

"Thank you for being a good boy. Now come on. Let's get you ready for bed." He said.

He made sure Mokuba brushed his teeth and got him in bed before giving him a bottle of warm milk and reading him a story. He switched off the lights and had almost gotten out the door when a voice screamed "Daddy!"

He went back in to see Mokuba reaching for him through the bars of the crib and crying for him. He sat down next to the crib and looked at him.

"What's the matter, buddy?"

"I no want you go." He pleaded.

"I know. But you'll see me in the morning. Just close your eyes and go to sleep and it will be like I never left." He promised.

"No!" He sobbed. "I no wanna sleep by myself." He looked at his Daddy tearfully. "Please?" He whimpered.

Kaiba really needed to work up an immunity to those adorable puppy dog eyes. He told himself it was just for one night and let down the side of the crib.

"Alright. You can sleep with Daddy tonight."

"Yay!" He cheered, grabbing his teddy bear and pacifier. Seto picked him up and carried him to his bedroom, laying him on the opposite side of the bed from him and gently tucking him in. He fell asleep almost immediately. Kaiba spent the next few hours in that room working to catch up with all the work he missed. But about once every hour or so he would stop working, stretch his legs, and go over to Mokuba to make sure he was okay. He needed to reassure himself that he was still there. Then he would plant a kiss on his forehead each time until he finally went to bed himself.


	27. Twisted

The weekend was fast approaching, and so was the father/son picnic. Mokuba had been keen on going and Seto fully intended to give him his wish. He had been working his hardest to finally get caught up at work so he could be free to do it, and lucky for him he had succeeded. He was happy to see they joyful look on Mokuba's face when he announced the news to him.

Little did he know, evil forces were conspiring to break father and son apart for good.

Gozaburo Kaiba was first and foremost a man of means. So he could easily pay his bail to get out of jail. After getting out he spent days coming up with an intricate and ingenious plan to capture both of his adopted sons and do away with them for good. And it all started with the father/son picnic at the school.

That morning, Mokuba was bursting with joy and energy. He got up before his father even came in the room, and hopped in the bathtub right away. Seto helped to bathe him (something he only got to do on the weekends) and when he got out, put him in a fresh diaper, despite the fact that he was squirming throughout the entire change.

"Calm down, Mokie. We'll get there soon enough." He promised. But Mokuba was too excited to listen. He ate a light breakfast and, after pestering his father to go at every bite, was finally allowed to get in the car and go.

When they got there, Mokuba couldn't stop bouncing in his seat. Seto made him hold his hand before getting out. The whole park was filled with fathers and sons, along with a buffet and a bounce house. Seto and Mokuba set up their blanket. Seto decided to get both of their plates and had Mokuba watch their spot while he was gone. As Mokuba sat on the blanket, his ears picked up a familiar sound, and he turned around to see a little boy, no older than five, crying on a nearby bench. Promising that he would only be gone a second, he went over to the child.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked. The boy jumped slightly, startled.

"No. My Daddy and I came here for the picnic with my puppy, but he ran away and now we can't find him!" He sobbed. Mokuba felt a twinge of pity for the boy.

"I can help you look if you want."

"R-Really?" He asked, wiping his eyes as he looked up hopefully.

"Sure!"

"Great! He went this way!" He said, tugging Mokuba to that direction. It was easy for Mokuba to forget his job and to run and help the child out. When Kaiba finally got back and saw that Mokuba was gone, he dropped the food on the floor and forgot everything- why he was there, what he was doing, and how to think rationally. It all faded away as he started running as fast as he could, trying to find his son. His instincts were at their most primal as he sprinted through the park to find him.

The small boy led Mokuba through the park and only stopped when they reached a nearby alley to catch their breath.

"I don't think your dog is in the park anymore." He panted. The boy looked up at him with a smile that instantly made Mokuba anxious. Then, with the swiftness of an eagle, he was hit from behind and knocked out by a shadowy figure. The figure handed a small stack of money to the child before dragging Mokuba away into the shadows.

Kaiba was certain that he'd searched every inch of the park, so Mokuba had to be elsewhere. It didn't matter where he was, though. Kaiba would find him. He always did. He decided to go back to the spot they'd chosen to see if Mokuba had come back there. Mokuba wasn't there, but a Manila envelope was. Kaiba snatched it up into his hand and opened it. There was a picture of Mokuba tied up in a car and a note, made up of several letters from different newspapers and magazines.

If you want to see him again, meet me at the Domino City Pier at 6PM this evening. Tell no one or he dies.

Kaiba could feel the cold panic beginning to set into his bones. He could do what the note said. The instructions were simple and easy to follow. But he wondered how the kidnapper would know if he told anyone. They probably had eyes on him right now. Well, he wasn't going to show them any fear. He sat down on the blanket and started to eat. He had to figure out a plan before it was too late. As he ate he could feel the stress building up inside him, but he tried to push it aside and focus as best he could. If they were going to meet at the pier, he could probably expect some type of water based trap- like when Yugi and Wheeler dueled while he was under Marik's control. Even though coming up with a strategy made him feel better, he couldn't help but feel the deepest and most primal sense of fear that came with being a parent. Although he was deeply afraid, he was certain of one fact: Whoever was foolish enough to target his family was going to pay.

When Mokuba woke up some hours later, he was disoriented. His vision was blurry and took a minute to focus. When he did, he saw that he was at the pier. Upon further inspection, he realized that he was tied up and couldn't move. It was only when his head began to throb that he realized he was badly injured. The pain was excruciating. He started to whimper in pain and fright as he realized that he was alone. The whimpers grew into sobs, and it was only when he heard a laugh that he realized he wasn't alone. He couldn't turn around to see the person, but he didn't need to. A laugh like that had only one owner-

Gozaburo Kaiba.


	28. Last Turn

**Author's Note: Normally I don't preface chapters, but I felt a need to say this before you all read: I know that some of the cards used in this chapter aren't from Kaiba's deck, but I wanted it to be slightly different so that it could counter Gozaburo. Plus this is the first duel I ever wrote myself. It took me three hours to write this chapter, so I hope you guys love it and make all the effort worthwhile! Enjoy!**

Mokuba felt chills run up and down his spine as he heard the gruff laughter of his old stepfather. He tried to turn around, but couldn't quite manage it. He could hear someone walking, coming closer and closer.

"Mokuba!" His eyes lit up when he realized that Daddy was there after all. "What have you done to him, Gozaburo?!" He shouted angrily. Gozaburo stepped forward.

"It's about time you got here, Seto! Didn't I teach you that being late is a form of laziness?"

"I guess I never learned anything from you after all." Kaiba retorted with a smirk. "Now give me back my son before I really get angry."

"All in good time, Seto. But first, come take a walk with your old man."

"Fat chance." He muttered.

"Fine. I guess you don't want to see Mokuba ever again." He snapped his fingers, and one of the goons guarding the entrance to the pier came and threw Mokuba over his shoulder. He kicked and struggled with all his might but it was of no use. The man was much stronger than he was. Kaiba followed him to a yacht that had been removed from the marina to the pier for this occasion. Gozaburo got on first, followed by his henchman carrying Mokuba, and finally Seto.

Kaiba followed and noticed the boat beginning to move. For a few minutes there was nothing but the hum of the engine as they went toward deeper water. When it stopped he saw several cronies come out and started throwing raw meat into the sea. It wasn't until he heard unintelligible shouting that he turned his attention to the rear of the boat and watched in horror as the henchman strung Mokuba on a hook high above the water, and then moved it so that he was dangling over where the many servants of Gozaburo had thrown the raw meat.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He cried.

"What's the matter, Seto? I thought you liked playing games?" He said, grinning evilly.

"Playing with the life of my son is no game!"

"Au contraire, his life depends on the game we're about to play."

"What are you talking about?!" He demanded.

"It's simple, really. We're going to play a little game of duel monsters. Every time your life points decrease, Mokuba will be lowered more and more into the sea. When they hit zero, he will be dropped into the ocean where he'll be shark bait. I've already attracted them with several pounds of raw meat. If you try and rescue him, my friend Darren over there will drop him in and he'll be swimming with the fishes. And when you lose to me, you will give back what you so carelessly stole from me! My company!"

"And when I win?"

" _If_ you win, which you won't, you and Mokuba are free to go as you please."

" _When_ I win, I'll haul you to jail."

"I'd like to see you try! I have power and money, Seto. Which means even if you do get me locked up, I won't stay that way for long."

"You don't have the power I do. Not anymore."

Gozaburo's eyes narrowed.

"Enough talk."

"It's time to duel!" They chorused.

"I'll start! Yelled Gozaburo. "I play dark blade in attack mode! And I'll lay two cards face down, and end my turn."

"Fine." Murmured Kaiba. "I summon La Jinn, The Mystical Genie Of The Lamp in attack mode! And I equip him with the magic card black pendant! Raising his attack power to 2300 points! Now La Jinn, attack his dark blade!"

Gozaburo's life points went down to 3500. He chuckled. "Very well. I bring Zombyra The Dark to the field and use the magic card Darkworld Shackles. Shackles, Attach to his mystical genie! When Darkworld Shackles are activated, your genie's attack and defense become one hundred, and it also inflicts 500 points of damage to your life points! Now Zombyra, attack his genie now! That's 2500 life points worth of damage, in case you were counting."

Seto watched in horror as Mokuba was lured a little more than half way down toward the sharks and felt his pulse begin to quicken.

"You didn't do all your homework, Pops. When Black pendant is destroyed it inflicts 500 points worth of damage to your life points!" Gozaburo looked at him, annoyed as his life points went down to 3000. Kaiba smirked. "Alright then. I play the magic card solemn wishes! Which increases my life points every time I draw a card, then I play graceful charity, so that I can draw three cards! That takes the damage down to one thousand life points. But don't worry, I'll be sure to devastate you for much more than that! I summon Kaiser Sea Horse to the field, and now I sacrifice him to bring forth the awesome power of my vampire lord!"

Gozaburo laughed. "You never were good at math, Seto! He's still too weak to take on Zombyra!"

"Not if I play Bashing Shield! It increases Vampire Lord's attack by 1000 points! Now, I set one card face down. Vampire Lord, attack Zombyra now!"

"Not so fast, boy! I play the trap card mirror force, to reflect Vampire Lord's attack right back at you!"

"And I play Raigeki to destroy your trap!"

With that, Zombyra was destroyed, and Gozaburo's life points went down by 900, bringing it down to 2100. "And, the effect of Vampire Lord let's me choose a type of card and you have to banish one of those cards from your deck. I choose a trap card!"

"Alright, son. You've had your fun." Gozaburo muttered, discarding a trap from his deck. "Now it's time to get serious. I place three cards face down and end my turn for now.

"Fine. First I'll lay two cards face down. And put a monster face down in defense mode. Next, I use the magic card Heavy Storm to wipe out every trap and spell you've got! Next, I summon Lord Of Dragons! And I equip him with two dragon summoning flutes to bring forth my three powerful Blue Eyes White Dragons and my different dimension dragon! And finally, I use polymerization to combine them into the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Prepare to meet your doom at the hands of my beast!" He cackled, and then crossed his arms over his chest. "You have one turn to try and stop me."

"Stopping you is exactly what I'm going to do!" He laughed. "First, I play Call Of The Haunted to resurrect Zombyra from the graveyard! Next, I'll destroy your solemn wishes card with Mystical Space Typhoon! and finally, I use Gravity Bind so that no monster of over level four power can attack me!"

Kaiba began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Asked Gozaburo, irritated.

"You are. I knew this was exactly what you'd pull, and I was prepared! Remember that face down monster I played? Go, Trap Master! Take out his Gravity bind card! And next I use Brain control to take over Zombyra The Dark. Now, Zombyra, attack his life points!"

Gozaburo was down to his last four hundred life points.

"Any last words, Pops?"

He took immense pleasure in seeing the fear in his stepfather's eyes.

"Now, my Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Attack with White Lightning and wipe him out!"

With a single blast, Gozaburo Kaiba lost. Kaiba immediately ran over to get Mokuba down. But Gozaburo wouldn't go down that easily. In his hand he held the true controller to lower Mokuba into the water. The one Darren held was fake.

"Nice... Try... Boy..." He said, and pushed the button.

The ropes were released, and Mokuba began to plummet to his doom. Thankfully Kaiba caught the rope just before he could fall.

"Daddy! Don't let go!" He begged. Kaiba began pulling him in with every ounce of his strength. When at last he was safe on the boat, Kaiba turned to Gozaburo.

"You snake!" He said, looming over his stepfather. This had gone way too far. Kaiba pulled Gozaburo up from the ground by his tie. "I told you the next time you crossed me I wouldn't let you leave alive, and I intend to keep my promises." He hissed like a burned cat.

"Wait, what are you going to do to me? You can't touch me! Do you know who I am?!" He thundered as Seto dragged him on the ground by his tie.

"You're the man who crossed me one too many times, and now your going to pay."

He strung him up by his tie on the same hook he let Mokuba hang from, and then ordered the henchmen, who were all terrified of him, to take them back to the pier as he called the police. Gozaburo tried desperately to take off the tie, but it was no use. When they got to the dock, the police took him away, and Seto cradled his crying son in his arms. At long last, this madness was finally over.

 **Please Review!**


	29. Love

For a few minutes after the police left, Seto took some time to comfort the child in his lap. Mokuba sobbed out how he had been captured with gasping breaths, much to Seto's dismay. When he realized Mokuba wasn't going to be calming down anytime soon, he picked him up, his son automatically wrapping his legs around Seto's waist and his arms around his neck. They stayed interlocked this way as Seto began walking toward the limo with a look on his face that dared anyone to say something bad about his son. If they had, they would have felt the full extent of his wrath. Mokuba cried the whole time. When they finally got to the limo that was waiting a block away due to the overwhelming police presence, Seto got in the car, and gently untangled Mokuba from himself. He started to whimper, but Seto hushed him. As soon as he was buckled in, Mokuba reattached himself to his father. Seto pulled the privacy window up with the click of a button. Once that was up, Seto softened his stony exterior and transformed himself from the duel monsters champion and president of Kaiba Corp to a gentle father who was always prepared for any situation. He started rubbing Mokuba's back.

"Mokie?" He said, quietly. "Can you talk to me? Hmmm?"

Mokuba sniffled. His lack of response made Kaiba anxious. When he did speak, Kaiba was relieved.

"I'm wet." He said, crying.

"We'll get you cleaned up as soon as we get home." He promised. Mokuba nodded, still clearly upset. Kaiba pulled him into his lap and gave him a cuddle. It seemed to calm him down some.

As soon as they got home, Seto took him up to the nursery. He slipped his favorite pacifier and started changing him. As he was doing so, he noticed Mokuba reaching toward his crib. When he looked to see what he wanted, he saw his favorite bear sitting in the corner of the crib. Smiling, he pulled the beloved stuffed animal out and handed it to his son, who eagerly accepted him. Snuggling up with his teddy, he started to feel a little safer. Once Mokuba was changed, Seto pulled him into his lap as he rocked him in the rocking chair. For a while neither of them said anything to one another for a very long time. Mokuba clung to him tightly, afraid to let go. It was Seto who eventually broke the silence.

"Are you hungry?" He asked. Mokuba nodded. "Do you want a drink, too?" Again, he nodded. "Alright." He said. He set Mokuba in his crib and was halfway across the room when he let out a wail. Seto instinctively turned on his heels and went back to His son.

"What's the matter?" He asked, gently. Mokuba tugged on his jacket. "What?" Mokuba gave one tug harder toward himself. "You don't want me to leave?" Mokuba nodded. "You can come with me if you want." He lifted his arms up, expecting to be carried. Seto chuckled. "Alright. Up you go!" He said, hoisting him onto his hip. He grabbed a bottle from below the changing table and headed to the kitchen. He had one of the chefs in the kitchen whip up some macaroni and cheese after he heated up the bottle of milk, he took Mokuba back into the nursery and fed him while he was laying in his lap. One of the servants brought a bowl of macaroni and cheese. Seto fed him the whole bowl. When that was over, he looked at the time. It was already nine o'clock at night.

"Are you ready for bath time, buddy?" He asked. Mokuba nodded, and Seto started running the water and putting in some bubble bath. He got him in the bathroom and stripped him of his pajamas, leaving him in only his diaper, which he wouldn't remove until the last minute. He went into the cabinet beneath the sink and retrieved his bath supplies, pouring in a bit of bubble bath, and left for a moment to get a clean diaper, washcloth, and towels. When he returned, the water was right where he wanted it to be. He turned the water off quickly and turned to Mokuba, who was sucking his pacifier with tired eyes. He picked him up and took off his diaper, leaving him completely exposed before he got in the tub and sat down. The water was warm, but not hot. Seto sat beside him on the tile floor, and grabbed a small blue-green tub from the shower caddy. He scooped water into it, instructed Mokuba to shut his eyes and lean his head back, and poured the water over his hair. As he squirted shampoo into his hands and worked it into a lather in his hair, he smiled when he saw him smile a bit. He rinsed his hair and put conditioner in while he gathered up suds in his arms and blew on it, sending tiny bubbles into the air. He giggled, and the familiar sound made him smile. He wet the washcloth before pouring a bit of body wash onto it, and rubbing it on Mokuba's back in soothing circles. He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling sleepy, and leaned toward his father. His smile widened as he finished washing him, and rinsed out his hair one more time before brushing it with the hairbrush in the caddy.

Feeling a bit less tired, Mokuba smiled at Seto, who began to drain the tub and helped him to his feet, before wrapping him up in a towel. He laid him down and put on a fresh diaper before putting on his pajamas. He lifted him onto his hip.

"I think it's time for someone to go to sleep now." He cooed

"No, Daddy." He begged.

"Yes. You had a rough day and I want you to get some sleep."

"Story first?" He pleaded. Seto caved under his puppy dog eyes.

"Alright. But just one. Go pick out the one you want."

Mokuba ran to the bookshelf and plucked his favorite book from the lot. He went back to his father who was waiting for him in the rocking chair. He hopped into his lap and proudly held out the book he chose. Seto smiled when he saw it.

"Me and My Dad by Alison Richtie." He said, reading the title. "My dad wakes me up every morning like this, he tickles my nose and gives me a kiss..."

As he read, he watched Mokuba's eyes beginning to droop. By the time he was finished he was sure that he was asleep. He was very careful not to wake him as he gently laid him in his crib. But it wasn't enough. Mokuba's hand shot up and grabbed his arm before he could leave and took his pacifier out.

"Don't go, Daddy." He begged.

"Daddy has to do some work, buddy." He said gently. He instantly regretted it as he saw tears well up in his son's eyes.

"Daddy, please?" He looked at him with his lip quivering. Seto sighed. It was pointless to argue with him. He picked him up and laid him in his own bed for the night. Mokuba snuggled in happily and quickly fell asleep. Kaiba smiled and worked for another two hours before going to bed himself, sleeping as lightly as possible just in case his son needed him.


	30. Nightmare

**Author's Note: I do not own "Hush Little Baby".**

 **And, to answer your question Dark Yugi, Mokuba is 9 in this fic.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

Kaiba's instincts were proven right when deep into the night Mokuba shot up in bed, a nightmare having jolted him awake. He looked around, afraid, as a clap of thunder roared in the sky. The only moonlight coming into the room was from a singular window by Seto's desk. The moon was full and luminous and he took comfort in that. However, he didn't notice a tree until he heard tapping on the window. The barren tree branches were bent in the shape of a claw and were enough to scare him enough into wetting his already wet diaper. Embarrassed, lonely, and afraid, Mokuba started to cry, instantly waking his father.

"Mokuba? Are you okay?" Although he continued crying, Mokuba was relieved. At least he wasn't alone anymore. He cuddled up to his Daddy, too scared to think straight. He curled up, burying his face into his side. Seto could feel him shaking with fear. He started rubbing his back soothingly. "What's got you so upset, bud?"

"Claw!" He said, pointing to the tree. It took Seto's sleep-addled mind a minute to catch on to his meaning, but once he did he felt better.

"It's just a tree. I promise. Take another look."

Hesitantly, Mokuba did so, and understood what his Daddy meant. Even in the darkness, Seto could tell he was blushing. "You're safe now, little one." He tried, but it didn't seem to help. That's when he knew that he didn't have the full story yet. "What else happened?" He asked as gently as possible.

Mokuba peered up at him questioningly. How did he always know? Seto could feel him gazing at him. "You can tell me." He said, quietly.

"Bad dreams, Daddy." He said, holding him tighter.

"It's over now." He promised.

Mokuba sniffled and nodded. Seto had the nagging feeling that Mokuba needed a change, so he put two fingers in the waistband of his diaper to check and found that he was indeed very wet.

"How about we get you cleaned up?" He asked. Mokuba nodded again and wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck. Seto lifted him into his arms with ease. Just as they were beginning to go out of the room, Mokuba's pacifier fell out of his mouth.

"Paci!" He cried. "Paci!" Kaiba sighed and fumbled around trying to find a light switch. Once he could see, he got the soother off of the floor, popped it into his son's mouth, and started walking back to the nursery. Mokuba calmed slightly when he was in the familiar confines of it's walls. Seto laid him down and changed him quickly. He noticed that once the diaper was off his son's cries had almost completely stopped. When he finished, he smiled down at him.

"Better now?" He asked. Mokuba nodded and reached up for him. Seto gladly pulled him into his arms and gave him a little squeeze. "How about we try and go to sleep now, hmmm?" Mokuba snuggled up to him tiredly, eyelids growing heavy.

When they got back to the bedroom, Seto was about to tuck his son into bed, he saw a wet patch on the bed. Realizing that Mokuba's diaper must have leaked, he stifled a sigh and set his son on the floor while he changed the sheets. Mokuba was very unhappy about being put down, but kept his pouting to himself. After Seto changed the sheets he lifted his son up and tucked him into bed before climbing in himself. He was amused to watch Mokuba crawl over to him and curl up next to him in a little ball, one arm curled around his teddy bear and another clutching his father's pajama top.

"Daddy?"

"Hmmm?"

"Sing me song?" He asked, pleadingly. Kaiba sighed. Only for his son.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word,  
Papa's gonna buy you a mocking bird.

And if that mocking bird won't sing,  
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

And if that diamond ring turns brass,  
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass gets broke,  
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.

And if that billy goat won't pull,  
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.

And if that cart and bull turn over,  
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.

And if that dog named Rover won't bark,  
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart.

And if that horse and cart fall down,  
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town."

He was happy to see that by the time his song was over, his son was fast asleep. Now maybe he could get some rest himself. He instinctively stroked his son's hair as fatigue gradually overtook him. He wanted so badly to sleep, but he could see that that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon. He was still a little shaken from Mokuba's nightmare.

The boy had been through the unimaginable yesterday and, as much as he wanted to say he was ready to handle all the possible repercussions that came with it, he still felt unprepared, which he loathed deeply. He was certain the worst of this was yet to come. He wanted to turn onto his side, but was stopped by the little hand holding his pajamas. Seto put his own hand on top of it as gently as he could, so as not to wake him. He looked at the innocent face sleeping beside him, just barely visible by the glow of the moonlight streaming through the window. He wondered to himself how he had been lucky enough to have such an exceptional child. The incredible amount of pride that he had for him made his heart swell up inside his chest, nearly suffocating him with happiness. He planted a gentle kiss on his child's forehead.

"I'll be there to protect you, Mokuba. Always. I promise." He swore, tucking a stray hair behind his son's ear.

With that, he shut his eyes and was finally able to get some rest.

 **Please Review!**


	31. Morning

**Author's Note: HOLY CRAP, GUYS. This chapter officially makes this story the longest multi chapter fic I have ever written. Thank you all so much for your continued** **reviews and support. It's turned what I thought would be a one-shot into one of the best multi-chapter fics I've ever written. So thank you guys. You really have made all the difference. A special thank you is in order to Dark Yugi and SB-129. Thanks for your constant reviews and ideas. You have no idea what it means to me to know you love this story so much. You guys are the best!**

 **To Mr. Bread Again- Mokuba is a little big to be carried, but when you consider that Kaiba was able to throw him by his vest onto a helicopter in one episode while using one hand, it's pretty easy to see him having the strength to carry him everywhere.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

Seto Kaiba was nothing if not a methodical man. He planned, strategized, and calculated every move he made. He always had a next step in mind, and never left home without a plan B for any situation. So doing something impulsive was a rarity that almost never occurred.

But the next morning, it happened.

Seto's internal clock woke him up at five O'clock in the morning. After glancing at his alarm clock that was set for half an hour later, he decided on a whim to do something he hadn't done before. He got up long enough to type up an email saying he was taking a personal day and telling Mokuba's teacher that he would be absent, switched off his alarm clock, and then went back to sleep.

The next time he woke it was nine o'clock. He decided to get up then. He checked on Mokuba and saw that he was still fast asleep. After the events of last night, he wasn't surprised. Smiling a little, he decided to jump in the shower before his son woke up. As he stood under the hot spray of water, he tried to figure out what to do today. He wanted to make it special and memorable for Mokuba. After the terror that consumed his past week, it was clear he was in sore need of some love and attention. He did have one idea, although it could hardly be considered a plan for the day. After he got out of the shower and got dressed, he put a note on Mokuba's bedside table in case he were to wake while he was gone, and personally went to a tiny shop nearby that had the type of present he was looking to give. He found it quickly, paid for it, and hopped back into the limo. When he got home he was relieved to find Mokuba still asleep and his letter untouched. He removed the letter and threw it away, and put the present in a small gift bag. His stomach rumbling reminded him that he hadn't eaten yet, and he thought it might be a good time to get some breakfast. He had Hobson tell the chefs to whip up both of their favorites to eat and have it delivered to his bedroom before laying down on the bed. Before he could get comfortable, the need to use the bathroom made itself known, and he went to take care of it, not knowing that Mokuba had just started to wake.

Mokuba's eyes were opened to bright sunshine clouding his Vision. He shut his eyes at the onslaught of bright light and looked away from the window, only to find himself alone in the room. He started to whimper quietly. He hated being alone- even in the daytime. When he looked around the room he saw the clock. It was already ten o'clock in the morning! He was so late for school! He was about to begin panicking about it when an obscure instinct stopped him. He started thinking rationally. Daddy would have made sure he got to school on time. So if he didn't get him up, there must be a reason.

Suddenly, he heard the door open and jumped out of his skin, but relaxed when he saw that it was just Daddy. Seto sat down on the bed next to him.

"Morning, buddy. Did you sleep well?" He asked, smiling. Mokuba crawled into his lap and snuggled up to him, nodding happily. Seto's smile grew. "Good. I'm glad." They spent a few minutes in happy silence before Mokuba removed his pacifier from his mouth to ask a question.

"Daddy?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why you not working and I not at school?"

"Daddy decided to take the day off and spend it with you." He replied. Mokuba's eyes brightened. Just then, Hobson entered the room carrying two trays. "Breakfast is here." Said Seto as Hobson set the two trays on the nightstand. As soon as he left, Seto took Mokuba's tray and began to feed him bites of egg and sausage after using his desk as a makeshift high chair. He made sure it was cleared off before it was used. There was also toast and a slice of watermelon, but he decided to let Mokuba feed himself with those (after he took out all of the watermelon seeds of course.) and finally got around to eating his own breakfast. Right before Mokuba could start eating the watermelon, he went and got a bib from the nursery and put it around his neck. He knew that this was going to get messy and, as always, he was right. It got all over his face and hands, and on the desk. But Seto wasn't concerned. This was what he had prepared for. When he had finished his own breakfast and Mokuba had finished his, he got a wash cloth from the bathroom, ran it under some warm water, and brought it to the desk where Mokuba sat. He wiped off his face, chin, and hands, and the desk before letting him out. He had Hobson come and clear the trays before picking up his child and changing his diaper. After getting him dressed into a t-shirt and a pair of overalls, Seto picked him up again.

"I have a surprise for you." he said, smiling. Mokuba's eyes grew wide and excited. "It's in my room." He said. He was going to carry Mokuba there until he started fussing to get down. Then he watched as Mokuba waddled back to his bedroom. Seto followed and looked on with amusement at his son's clear excitement. He pulled out the bag from earlier and handed it to him. He chuckled to himself as Mokuba threw the tissue paper over his shoulders and watched his reaction as he saw what was inside.

There, he squealed with delight as he found a blue-eyes white dragon stuffed animal with a matching baby blanket wrapped around it. He couldn't stop smiling as he took the blanket and rubbed it against his cheek while hugging his new stuffed friend. He ran to his Daddy and gave him a big hug.

"Tank You, Daddy." He said, smiling. Seto grinned.

"Anytime, buddy. Anytime."


	32. Care

**Author's Note: So I pretty much died writing all the fluff in this chapter. I hope you all love it as much as I do!**

 **And to Pharoh Atem, the baby talk rule is only for the nursery. But Mokuba has grown into it so that he uses it whenever he's at home with Seto. It only goes off in public or when someone else is there.**

"Have you thought of a name for your dragon yet?" Asked Seto as he fixed his son a bottle. It was just after lunch and Mokuba had spent the whole morning playing with his cuddly new friend. Mokuba shook his head and looked at the stuffed animal, trying to figure out an answer. His eyes suddenly brightened and he nodded. "What's it's name?" He asked, gently.

"Spike!" He said, happily holding up the toy. Seto smiled.

"That's a great choice." He replied. Mokuba nodded just as the bottle was ready. "Do you want Daddy to feed you or do you want to feed yourself?" He asked. Normally he wouldn't give Mokuba a choice in the matter, but he was feeling generous today.

"Daddy!" He squealed happily. Seto smiled and took him back to the nursery. After he settled in the rocking chair Mokuba climbed into his lap, cuddling with his new dragon and blanket as he was fed. When the bottle was gone they spent a few minutes in contented silence before Seto asked him a question.

"What do you want to do now?" He asked.

"I play outside?" He asked, tucking his dragon under his arm.

"Alright. Just give me a minute." He said, and went to his room to get a book that he'd been trying to read for over a year but hadn't gotten past the first page. Then he led Mokuba out the back door. On the back porch was a glass table with four chairs and a cushioned porch swing. Kaiba sat on the porch swing, keeping watch of Mokuba, who was running around to his heart's content. Eventually he got comfortable enough to actually start reading, but every few minutes he automatically scanned the backyard for his son and any signs of danger. But nothing happened.

Mokuba was running around with his new dragon up in the air, pretending that he was really flying and giggling to himself as he ran. He was so engrossed in playing with his dragon he didn't notice a larger stone sticking out of the ground. But it was too late. He tripped over the rock and went flying through the air, only to land harshly on the ground. When he looked himself over, he saw that had skinned his knee and that it was bleeding.

The shock of what had just happened was so great that he could feel himself involuntarily releasing his bowels. Once it was over it took him a moment to process everything that had occurred, but when it did the pain and equally as prevalent embarrassment made him let out a wail.

Every parent knew the difference in their children's cries. They knew when it was a genuine cry of pain or distress or a manipulative cry to get what they wanted. Seto Kaiba was no exception to the rule. So when he he heard Mokuba cry out he threw his book aside and ran as fast as he could toward where the noise was coming from. He could see him sitting under a tree and sobbing. He slowed down and put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"What happened, buddy?" He asked as nicely as possible. Mokuba sniffled.

"Daddy I hurt my knee!" He sobbed. Kaiba looked down and sure enough, he had scraped his knee badly. He felt his heart shrivel up with sadness.

"Let's go and get you patched up." He said. He was about to pick him up when Mokuba blushed, shook his head no, and turned away from him.

"No uppie!" This was an almost unprecedented occurrence, so clearly something else had to be going on here. It wasn't until he noticed Mokuba's diaper bulging out more than usual that he put two and two together. He offered him his hand and led him back into the house for a diaper change. He popped a pacifier into his son's mouth in hopes of making him more relaxed. He was very careful when pulling the overalls down to not let the denim brush against his injured knee. After Mokuba was cleaned up and changed, Seto took him into the bathroom to take care of his knee. He put some antiseptic on a cotton ball, then looked up at his charge.

"This is going to sting when I put it on, but I promise it will help make it better faster." Mokuba nodded tearfully. Mokuba jumped when he dabbed it the first time, but worked hard to keep still the rest of the time. When Seto was certain the wound was clean, he put a band aid on it and even gave it a kiss, just to see his son smile. Seto noticed his son trying to hide a huge yawn and decided it was naptime for now. He tucked him into his crib and flicked off the light.

When Mokuba woke up two hours later, he was struck with a brilliant idea.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" He called. His smile grew when his father finally came through the door. Mokuba reached up to him and Seto gladly picked him up.

"Hey buddy." He said, smiling. "Did you have a good nap?" Mokuba nodded. "Good."

"Daddy, I have question."

"What is it, bud?"

"You got Spikey today?" He asked. Kaiba nodded.

"It his birthday then?"

"I guess so."

"We gotta make him cake!" He declared. Seto raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Do we now?" Mokuba nodded vigorously.

"Can't we have someone else make the cake?" He asked.

"No!" Said Mokuba firmly. "It not the same."

Seto stifled a sigh. "Alright. Let's go make Spike a birthday cake."

"Yay!" Mokuba cheered, then grabbed Spike and ran to the kitchen. Seto shook his head slightly. The things he did for his son...

When he got there Mokuba was already trying to reach the counter but was too short. Seto pulled over one of the dining room chairs so that he could stand on that and help make the cake. Seto got everything they would need down from the high parts of the kitchen that he knew Mokuba couldn't reach. Once he got everything out, he started on the cake. He measured things out, and let Mokuba pour and stir things. He even let Mokuba crack the eggs (although he insisted that Mokuba do it in a measuring cup in case any pieces of shell got in there- that way it would be easy to get out.). He sprayed the pan with baking spray to make sure the cake wouldn't stick, then helped Mokuba pour the batter into a pan and put it in the oven. He had to do most of the clean up (which he had anticipated) but he didn't really mind. If his son was happy, that was all that mattered. When the cake came out half an hour later, he put it on the rack to cool, and told Mokuba that they would have cake after dinner.

Dinner was three hours later, and Mokuba was the first one done. He waited impatiently for his father to finish and was bouncing in his seat with excitement. Finally, Seto was done and frosted the cake. When he brought it to the table, Mokuba stared up at him sweetly.

"Candle?" He asked. Seto brought back a single birthday candle and lit it. Mokuba started to sing "Happy Birthday" when he stopped and frowned.

"Daddy, you're 'apposed to sing too!" He chastised. Seto almost smiled.

"Okay. I'm sorry."

They both sang happy birthday to Spike, who Mokuba sat right in front of the cake. Once they finished singing, Kaiba piped up again.

"You know bud, I think Spike needs your help to blow out the candle."

"Yeah! 'Cause if he blew it would only light it more!"

"That's right."

Mokuba blew out the candle with Spike, as Seto applauded them, and then cut the cake.

Seto gave Mokuba and Spike each a small piece (knowing that Mokuba would insist on eating them both) and gave himself a piece. It turned out better than he thought it would. When he was done and Mokuba was too, he helped clean the frosting off of his face. He couldn't help but think how miraculous life was. If someone had told him six months ago that this is what he would have been doing with his life, he would have laughed in their face and said they were nuts, and yet here he stood, completely happy with his lot in life. He wouldn't have had it any other way.

 **Please Review!**


	33. Trip

**Author's Note: I'm so happy you all loved yesterday's chapter as much as I did! It was super fun to write. This one isn't nearly as fluffy, but it is still good. I hope you enjoy it!**

That evening, Seto was working on his laptop in the living room, while Mokuba lay on the floor on his stomach, sucking on his pacifier and coloring in his coloring books with Spike next to him. He was almost finished coloring in Swordstalker when his father's cell phone rang. Kaiba, irritated at being interrupted, was harsh. Mokuba kept coloring and listened to his Daddy's half of the conversation.

"What?" He snapped coldly. "Yes... What about them?... What do you mean it isn't working?! The system is foolproof!... I can't just leave on a whim, I have a son to take care of!"

At the word "leave", Mokuba's head shot up, and he focused all of his attention on his Daddy.

"No, there isn't... Of course I'm sure... I can't be the only one who knows how to do this!... You've exhausted every resource?... You're sure it's just me?" He sighed. "Alright. I'll find somebody. When do I have to be there?... Fine. Goodbye." He flipped his cell phone shut and turned to see Mokuba staring at him wide eyed. Seto knelt down to his level.

"Daddy has to leave tomorrow, buddy. Something happened with one of the computer systems and I'm the only one who can fix it."

"Daddy leaving me?" His voice cracked sadly as his eyes filled with tears. Seto sighed to himself and wrapped his son into a tight hug.

"I know. I don't want to leave you either."

He held his crying child until he calmed down. Mokuba reached out for Spike and cuddled him tightly. Seto kissed his son's forehead with tenderness and it seemed to calm him further, just as he'd hoped. He pulled Mokuba up onto his hip and carried him upstairs to the nursery, settling in the rocking chair until his son was completely silent.

"I no want Daddy leave." Mokuba whined, clutching his father's shirt. Seto ruffled his hair affectionately.

"I know, buddy. Believe me, I know."

Mokuba tried to furrow deeper into his chest, but all the crying he'd done that day had worn him out, and he quickly fell asleep. Seto very carefully transferred him into the crib, put up the side, and then made one phone call before racing back to his laptop not just to buy his plane ticket, but for a completely different project that he had to finish tonight. It took him until two in the morning, but he finished it, printed it out, put it in a binder, and finally went to sleep.

The next morning, Mokuba woke up surprisingly early and cried until Daddy came to let him out of his crib. He reached up for him and was happy to have Daddy take him back to his room, where he snuggled up to him until Daddy had to wake up. Even after, Mokuba stayed in the bed, happily breathing in Daddy's scent on the pillow- which gave Seto a great idea. He stuck that pillow in the nursery crib so that when Mokuba went to bed it would be like he was right there with him. Smiling, he went out to the kitchen to start eating breakfast. He didn't have to leave until around four in the afternoon, so he was still free to have a leisurely morning. When Mokuba came downstairs, Seto happily fed him his breakfast with all the love he could manage. Then he made sure to ride with him to school before heading to work.

The day passed far too quickly for his liking and all too soon it was time for him to go home, pack his things, and get ready to leave. He didn't anticipate being gone longer than a few days, but he knew that that was already way too long. It hurt to be away from his son for so long, and he knew the pain would only escalate from here on out. He finished packing just as Mokuba got home. Seto put his suitcase by the couch and cuddled his son in his lap. Every passing minute made the tension inside him grow worse. When the doorbell rang, Seto put Mokuba down on the couch (much to his dismay) and answered the door.

There stood Yugi Moto and his three best friends. Kaiba had shuttered at the thought of letting a third rate duelist like Joey Wheeler inside his home, but when Yugi said he couldn't babysit without his friends, Kaiba was begrudgingly forced to agree. He showed them each their guest room and showed Yugi a giant binder that was about as thick as a phone book. For several weeks now he'd been working on making a care manual for Mokuba for when an occasion such as this was to come up- that way they could be prepared for any and every situation they were thrown with. Of course, he explained, if he had any questions he should call him first- particularly if Mokuba started throwing a fit. But otherwise, he felt certain that the manual covered everything he needed to know. He also entrusted him with a key to the nursery- something he didn't think he would ever do- but he was certain that it would make Mokuba feel closer to him while he was gone. He glanced at the clock.

To both father and son's chagrin, it was time for Seto to head to the airport. He grabbed his suitcase and knelt down to Mokuba's level.

"Okay buddy, it's time for me to go now." Mokuba's little face crumpled up as he gave his Daddy a big hug.

"Don't go, Daddy. Please don't go." He begged. The sound broke Seto's heart but he knew he had to be strong.

"I have to, bud. But I'm gonna miss you. You're going to be a good boy while I'm gone, right?" Mokuba nodded. "Do you promise?"

"I promise."

"Good." Seto gave him a hug.

"Does Spike get a hug too?" He asked, holding up his dragon. Seto smiled.

"Spike can have a hug too." He hugged the small toy, grabbed his suitcase and got into the limo, while Mokuba watched teary-eyed as he cuddled his dragon. With one last wave goodbye, Seto was gone.

 **Please Review! Also, I want to hear your ideas about what the five of them can do together while Seto is away! Let me know what you think!**


	34. First Day

**Author's Note: Thanks for the suggestions guys! It really helped! I hope you like this chapter!**

Mokuba went back into the house with a sad sniffle. He squeezed Spike tightly and cried into his head, looking for his blanket to cuddle with. He found his blanket and nuzzled it, trying to find comfort in it- but comfort wouldn't find him that day. He sat in the living room, sucking on his pacifier and crying into his dragon. The three older teens noticed his condition, and tried to think of a way to help. Yugi was the first to come over to him, feeling compassion for the child.

"Are you okay?" He asked as softly as possible.

Mokuba shook his head sadly and sniffed, squeezing Spike extra tight.

"I'm sad." He mumbled. Yugi nodded.

"I know how you feel." He emphasized. Mokuba looked at him with big eyes.

"Really?"

"Sure. When Pegasus took my Grandpa's soul I didn't have anybody else but my friends. And even though they're amazing, it wasn't the same. But even though your Dad is gone, you've got us here to help."

Mokuba wiped his eyes. "Thanks."

Yugi nodded enthusiastically. Tèa came over and sat on Mokuba's other side, bored with Joey and Tristan as they raided the fridge.

"Is there anything you want to do now?" She asked. He seemed lost in his thoughts but quickly brightened and nodded, taking his pacifier out.

"I wanna build something for Spike."

"Spike?" Asked Tèa. Mokuba nodded and held up the dragon happily.

"Spike! Daddy got him for me special yesterday."

"That's great, Mokuba! What do you want to build?"

"A city!" He cheered and started running upstairs to get the blocks from out of the nursery. He went back downstairs and dumped the blocks onto the floor. Together, the three of them built a magnificent city while Joey and Tristan watched from the kitchen table as they stuffed their faces. Soon however, Mokuba began to yawn. Yugi and Tèa were not unaware of this. Yugi checked the schedule and saw that it was fifteen minutes past Mokuba's scheduled naptime.

"How about we finish the city later?" Said Yugi.

"I wanna finish it now." Said Mokuba as he let out another yawn.

"I know, but you'll get to have way more fun with it if you're awake."

"Well... Okay... But just for a little bit..." He said, trudging tiredly up the stairs. He crawled into his crib and cuddled with Spike and his blanket on his Daddy's pillow. Breathing in the familiar scent, he quickly fell asleep. Yugi and Tèa went to check on him and found him fast asleep. They smiled at one another before going back to Tristan and Joey- who were already in a food coma.

When Mokuba got up two hours later, he was uncharacteristically afraid. He started whimpering, clutching his dragon and blanket. The whimpers grew into cries and he curled up into a tight ball. He heard the door open, but didn't acknowledge whoever it was that was there.

"Mokuba? Mokuba, are you okay?" Asked Yugi. His head snapped up at the sound of his name. Mokuba flinched when the side of the crib went down. Yugi looked at him to see big tears running down his red face. "What's wrong?" He asked, gently. Mokuba shook his head and clutched his dragon tighter.

After several minutes of coaxing from both Yugi and Tèa and still getting nowhere, Yugi decided to call Kaiba.

Seto was in the midst of rewiring a hard drive when his cellphone rang. Irritated at being interrupted, he was about to tell whoever it was off when he saw the caller ID and answered immediately.

"Hello?" he said, trying to mask his nerves.

"Kaiba?"

"Yugi? What's going on?"

"Well we really aren't sure. Mokuba's crying and we don't know why. We can't get him to tell us what's wrong."

"Put him on."

Yugi put the phone to Mokuba's ear.

"Hey Buddy." He said, voice changing from his standard tough as nails, cold as ice demeanor to a soft, gentle voice created specifically for his son.

Mokuba instantly grabbed the phone and pressed it close to his ear.

"Daddy?" He asked, making sure he was hearing him right.

"Yeah. It's me. I heard you got upset today. Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

Mokuba sniffed. "I was scared."

"What were you scared of, bud? You need to tell me or Daddy can't fix it."

"I had a bad dream." He whimpered.

"I'm sorry. What did you dream about?"

"You never came back for me." He said, trying not to cry.

"Mokie, you know I'll always come back for you. Your my son and I love you. I'll always come back."

"You promise?" He hiccuped.

"I promise." He swore.

"I feel better now." Said Mokuba.

"Good. I'm glad. I'll call you before bedtime, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Daddy. I love you."

"Bye buddy. I love you too."

After Mokuba got cleaned up, he went back downstairs to play with the city he'd made earlier, with himself as Spike attacking the city and Yugi and Téa being the frightened townspeople. When Mokuba got bored, Tristan and Joey took him to the backyard to play a game of catch. The time seemed to be flying by, and soon it was time for dinner. They all ate together at the banquet style dining room table for dinner and dessert. Joey and Tristan of course, ate the most and went to bed early, leaving Tèa and Yugi to Watch Mokuba. After dinner the three of them sat in front of the TV having some wind-down time until it was time for Mokuba to go to bed. He eagerly brushed his teeth and got in his pajamas as he waited for Daddy to call. When he did, Mokuba was delighted.

"Hi Daddy!" He said, happily.

"Hey buddy. Are you all ready for bedtime?"

"Yep!" He said. Seto smiled.

"Good boy."

"Daddy?"

"Hmmm?"

"Will you still read me a bedtime story?" He asked sweetly.

"Sure buddy. What one do you want to hear?"

"Our special story!"

Seto chuckled. "Alright. Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"Okay. Here we go. I love you, Daddy by Jillian Harker. You're getting tall, Little Bear. Big enough to come climbing with me..."

They read the story so often that Kaiba knew the whole thing by heart. It was Mokuba's favorite. By the time it was over, he heard Mokuba let out a big yawn.

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, buddy. Have a good sleep and sweet dreams." He whispered. Before long, Mokuba was fast asleep.

 **Please Review!**


	35. Lost

The next morning, Mokuba woke up happy in his crib with Spike and his blanket in his hands. He cuddled with the two of them until someone came to let him out of his crib. He went downstairs chattering happily about his dreams and started eating his breakfast. Some of it got on Spike, but Mokuba was too busy talking to notice. He went to school with Spike in his book bag. He got a little dirtier, but not much. When school was over and he was safe in the backseat of the limo, he cuddled his stuffed friend and sucked on his pacifier. Yugi and his friends had already beat him home and were busy making snacks in the kitchen when he got there. After a snack they all decided to play outside. Only then did Mokuba notice his dragon's filth.

"Spike, you stay here and guard the city." He said, referring to yesterday's city of blocks. "You don't need to get any dirtier."

With that, he ran outside to play.

Not long after he left, one of the maids saw the condition of the stuffed animal. Disgusted at the multiple stains in it's fur, she picked it up with two fingers and took it into the laundry room for a good scrubbing. She threw it in the wash, and then went home since her shift was over.

Mokuba came in an hour later and immediately went to get Spike. It was naptime and he was tuckered out. His heart dropped into his stomach when he saw Spike wasn't where he'd left him.

"Spike? Spi-ike!" He called, as if he expected the animal to answer him. He started looking everywhere in the room for him, but he was gone. Panicking, he started running from room to room, looking for his beloved Dragon. Yugi and his friends came in a few minutes after he set about running around the house. They didn't see him, so they assumed he was already taking his nap. They all gathered at the dining room table to get a start on their homework. Babysitting Mokuba was fun and all, but they still had work to do. They started with their toughest subject: Math, and worked their way down from hardest to easiest subjects.

Mokuba was still tearing apart the house when they finished their homework. It was almost two hours later, and he was certain he'd looked absolutely everywhere. He stopped destroying the room when the realization hit that Spike wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere. Mokuba plopped down on his diaper-padded butt and his lip began to quiver. Tears started streaming down his cheeks, and he let out a heartbroken wail.

The four friends heard the distressed cry and raced toward the source of the sound. They saw Mokuba crying desperately in the center of a destroyed room, and they were all pretty shocked to see it. Obviously something had upset him deeply.

"Mokuba, we thought you were sleeping. What's wrong?" Asked Yugi. As much as he tried to articulate what was going on, he was sobbing too hard. It took him a good five minutes before he said anything that was comprehendible.

"Spike! H-he h-he he's gone!" He sobbed, gasping for breath. His little face was beet red, and there was snot running out of his nose. It was disgusting, but they all knew that they had to try and calm him down. While Tèa gave her best shot, Yugi raced to find the large manual Kaiba had prepared for supposedly any situation. This was most definitely a situation he was unprepared for, and he needed some guidance on what to do.

The book was organized differently than he expected. Emotions were how the book was divided. He went to the sad section, and started looking at subheadings. He finally found the section "lost toy" and was eager to read what to do. Under the heading was only three simple words:

Call Seto Kaiba.

Yugi ran back with the phone where Tèa was still trying and failing to calm him down. When she tried to touch him, he jerked away. His sadness, hurt, anger, fear, and frustration had overwhelmed him, and he felt like his whole life had boiled down to this one miserable, beaten point of rebellion.

"No!" He said defiantly. "I don't want you. I want my Daddy! I want my Daddy right now!" He screamed. Yugi was quick to get Kaiba on the phone. The friends decided to split up and look for the animal themselves.

"Hello?" Said the gruff voice.

"Kaiba?"

"Yugi? What's wrong?" He could hear Mokuba screaming in the background.

"Mokuba can't find his dragon. He's looked everywhere and he still can't find him."

"Put him on."

Yugi handed the phone to Mokuba, who sniffled sadly. "Daddy?"

"Hey buddy. I heard about Spike."

"He's gone, Daddy! I looked everywhere b-but I can't find him!" He wailed.

"It'll be okay, bud. Is Hobson there with you?" He asked gently.

"No."

"Can you find him for me please?"

Mokuba found Hobson in the kitchen and handed him the phone.

"Sir?"

"I want everybody looking for that dragon, and if it isn't found today, you'll be fired. Am I being absolutely clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

"Good. Now give the phone back to my son."

Mokuba wiped his eyes as Hobson walked away quickly.

"What did you do, Daddy?" He asked curiously.

"Just gave him a little incentive."

"What's that mean?" He asked.

"I gave him a good reason to find Spike."

"Oh. Okay!"

"Don't worry, okay bud? He'll turn up soon. I know it."

"How do you know?" He asked. Seto smiled to himself.

"I'm your Daddy. I know everything." Mokuba giggled.

Just then, Tèa ran into the room carrying a familiar friend.

"Spike!" He cheered, grabbing him and snuggling him tight.

"I found him in the laundry room. I guess someone must have put him in the washer and dryer to clean him up."

"Thank you, Tèa!" He said, hugging her.

She smiled. "No problem."

"Daddy! Spike's back!"

"Really?"

"Mhm!"

"Where was he?"

"Somebody put him in the washer. But he's all clean now."

"Well good." Seto glanced up at the clock. "Daddy has to go now, buddy. You be a good boy for me, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. Bye bye!"

"Bye bye, buddy." Seto hung up the phone. Mokuba set it on the table and, completely exhausted, crawled to the living room, curled up on the floor, and fell asleep using Spike as a pillow.

 **Author's Note: I just love writing Mokuba's tantrums! They're so much fun! Please Review!**


	36. Sick

When Mokuba woke up it was to the sound of clattering plates. The sound meant dinner was almost ready. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, reaching back for Spike and pulling him into his grip. He looked around the room- no one was there but him. Yugi and his friends were nowhere to be found. Whimpering at the thought of being alone, he set out to find them. It wasn't until he heard laughter coming from Joey's room that he found them. Yugi and Joey were dueling on the bed. Mokuba walked in without saying a word and sat in one corner of the room, sucking his thumb and cuddling Spike. As anticipated, Hobson came in not long after to say that dinner was ready. Everybody went out to the table to eat, but Mokuba just wasn't hungry. He barely touched his food. All of them noticed at one point or another, but never said anything. There was dessert after dinner, but Mokuba didn't want that either. When dinner was over, Mokuba went into the nursery and played sullenly with his dragon and colored in his coloring books. He got tired easily and fairly quickly was ready for bed. He called his Daddy himself for a bedtime story and then quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Yugi decided to go wake Mokuba up. When he peered inside of the door, he saw something that made him pause. Mokuba lay huddled under several blankets. His face was pale and he was sweating, and yet he was shaking so much he was shaking the whole crib.

"Mokuba?" He asked, quietly. Mokuba's eyes opened, he took his pacifier out, and moaned.

"I don't feel good." He whimpered. Yugi moved over to the crib and let down the side to check his temperature.

"You're burning up. I'll go call your Dad."

"Okay." He said meekly.

Yugi came back and handed Mokuba the phone.

"Daddy?"

"Hey buddy. I heard you aren't feeling too good today."

"Yeah. 'M not."

"What's going on with that?"

"I'm really cold and all stuffy and not hungry."

"You have to eat something, bud."

"I don't wanna." He whined.

"Please? Will you do it for me?"

"Please don't make me, Daddy. It hurts!" He cried.

"Please Mokie? Please?" He pressed.

"Okay." Mokuba sniffed.

"That's a good boy." He praised. "You just get some rest and feel better, okay?"

"Okay. Daddy?"

"Yes, buddy?"

"When are you coming home?"

"I'm going to try my best to get there tonight, okay?"

"Okay. Bye bye, Daddy."

"Bye buddy."

Mokuba handed the phone back to Yugi and, after giving Yugi instructions on what to do in any situation, Kaiba hung up the phone in hopes of catching a plane back home. Yugi decided to stay behind from school that day so that Mokuba wouldn't have to be alone. The day wasn't very interesting. Yugi spent the whole doing things that Kaiba probably would have had he been there. He gave medicine, took his temperature, and tried to get him to eat as much as possible. The eating was more or less a lost cause, but Yugi persisted on. When his friends got there, Yugi took a break to do his homework while Tèa looked after Mokuba, who had barely made a peep all day long.

When everyone had finished their homework, they all came together in hopes of making Mokuba feel better. Each of them tried their best, but it didn't make a difference. When dinner rolled around, Mokuba hardly touched his food again, but that wasn't surprising, considering he'd only taken a few bites of his food all day. When dinner was done, Mokuba dragged all his blankets out onto the couch and huddled under them to wait for Daddy to come home. He was incredibly tired (despite having slept for much of the day) and fell asleep waiting for him.

Seto Kaiba had finally caught a plane back home two hours after his morning talk with his son. He had chosen to leave early from his trip in favor of being with his son. When those he was helping protested, he reminded them that the rest of the work he was doing could be completed by the most inexperienced IT person, and if they couldn't do that, why was he even paying them in the first place? That shut them up pretty quickly. His plane touched down in Domino at nine o'clock at night. He got lucky and got into his limo just before it started pouring rain. When he finally pulled into the winding driveway, he could hardly contain his excitement to see his child at last. He ran through the rain but was extremely careful to open the front door as quietly as possible in case Mokuba was sleeping. After shedding his jacket and putting it on the coat hanger. His eyes immediately flashed to his son who was sleeping under a pile of blankets. He couldn't help the huge grin that broke out on his face and went over to him, gently rubbing circles on his back.

Mokuba's eyes slowly opened, and it took him a minute to focus his vision. When he did, he smiled.

"Daddy." He said, reaching up to his father. Kaiba picked him up happily and Mokuba hid his face in the crook of his neck. Kaiba bounced him up and down gently.

"Hey buddy. How are you feeling?" He asked, cradling his son in his arms and kissing his hot forehead tenderly. Mokuba nuzzled his father happily, but let out a gregarious yawn.

"I sweepy, Daddy." He said, trying to furrow into his father for warmth. Kaiba sat down on the couch where he was laying and started covering his son in blankets. Mokuba was still cold, but now it wasn't as bad as it was before.

"You can go to sleep, bud. Daddy's right here, and I'm not going anywhere." He promised. Mokuba smiled blearily up at him, started sucking his thumb, and fell asleep.


	37. The Doctor's Office

**Author's Note: I took a little artistic license in this chapter (you'll see what I mean). I own nothing but the Doctor's office and it's characters.**

 **To Pharoh Atoms: Spike is cheesy indeed, but there is a story behind him: every small child/infant has an object they're quite attached to- More than any other. For Mokuba that's Spike. It used to be his bear, but Spike symbolized Kaiba really taking over as a Dad and stepping up to the challenges of parenthood. He also symbolizes Seto choosing to leave the past behind and starting over. Spike is quite cheesy indeed, but that's why we love him.**

As Seto gathered Mokuba in his arms, he wondered what Yugi and his friends were up to. He carried Mokuba back to the nursery, not noticing that Yugi's friends had clustered at the door. He was about to put Mokuba in his crib when he remembered he might need a diaper change. His intuition was correct and he set Mokuba on the changing table. His young charge's eyes fluttered open.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Is family just the people you're related to?"

He was surprised by the question. "It depends. Why are you asking?"

"'Cause Yugi and his friends feel like family to me. Are they family?"

He almost winced at that, but kept a smile on his face. "They're your family."

"So they can be my Uncles and Auntie?" He asked. As much as Kaiba wanted to grit his teeth and growl "no", he saw the innocent look in his son's eyes and melted under his gaze.

"Sure, buddy."

Mokuba gave him a weary smile, and fell back asleep.

Kaiba changed him quickly and put him to bed.

It was only after he pulled up the side of the crib did he see Yugi and his friends. He was about to leave when a hand reached out and grabbed his shirt.

"Daddy stay?" Asked Mokuba pleadingly.

"Daddy will be right back, okay bud?"

"Okay."

He shut the nursery door as quietly as possible and ushered Yugi and his friends to the living room.

"I appreciate you all taking care of Mokuba while I was away. As I'm sure you heard, he's very grateful to all of you." He paused a moment, letting his words sink in. "He has put a great deal of trust in you. I want to be clear about one thing: If you misuse or break that trust, I will come after you with everything I have." His eyes were cold and serious. "Am I understood?" They all nodded. "Thank you." He said it begrudgingly, but the sentiment was sincere. He was about to leave when a voice stopped him.

"Hey Kaiba."

The voice made him grit his teeth. "What do you want, Wheeler?"

"I got a question for you."

"What?"

"Why are you doing all of this?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The diapers, the toys, the nursery... Why?"

He was annoyed that Wheeler had asked the same question Yugi had in the beginning.

Seto turned to face him. "You may understand the basics of dueling, but you don't know anything about what it means to be a parent. You may have a sister and have a bond with her that's similar, but it's not the same. The second you become a parent, it changes everything. The way you see yourself, your child, and your life. You put the needs of your child first. Before anything else. He needed this. He needed me to take on this role and be the parent he never had, because when you get right down to it, I'm the only one he trusts to stay with him. Everything I've ever done, I've done for him, so that he won't suffer same way I did. It's about time he got to have the childhood he deserves."

Joey was surprised enough by his response that he didn't say anything. Kaiba turned away and went back to his son. Joey, Yugi, Tristan, and Tèa, not knowing what to do, left the manor.

Seto stayed up all night long with Mokuba, who constantly woke up crying. Each time Seto soothed him and got him back to sleep. He would fall asleep, only to wake up again every hour on the hour. When morning finally came around, he was exhausted, but kept himself cheery for Mokuba's sake.

Once again, Mokuba stayed home from school and Set from work. He tried feeding Mokuba his breakfast, but he barely touched it. Seto made a doctor's appointment for him for later that afternoon. He had done a lot of research on the plane ride home, and had found a practice that could accommodate Mokuba's... Needs, so to speak.

He gave him a bath and got him dressed in a T-Shirt and pair of overalls. And, after several reassurances that everything would be fine, got him in the car with his pacifier, blanket, and Spike in tow, and himself carrying a diaper bag. Mokuba pestered him with questions about where they were going, but only got a "you'll see" in reply.

They drove until they were outside the city limits. Mokuba was curious as to where they were going. There came a point where they reached a dirt path and began traveling down it. It split into a fork after three miles and was in a forest. Abruptly, they stopped right outside a large wrought iron gate. Seto pushed the call button and confirmed his appointment and identity before they were granted entry. Up a winding road was a large building, plain and unassuming. But the people coming out caught his attention. There were kids, teens, and even adults that were dressed like he was and acted like he did. He stared at it in awe.

"What is this place?" He asked, bewildered.

"I did a lot of looking while I was on that plane ride home yesterday. I was hoping to find a doctor who could accommodate your specific needs, and I found this place. They help babies of any age. I figured it was worth a try."

Mokuba hugged him happily, then got out of the limo. Seto felt a wave of relief hit as he thought about how happy he was that the press couldn't see them right now. He went over and grabbed Mokuba's hand. Mokuba started walking forward, clutching his beloved Dragon close to his chest. He was a little nervous. Kaiba led him through the Parking structure to the elevator, where they pushed the button for the second floor. They arrived and found several sets of doors, all with different labels. Seto took him through the one marked "children". When Mokuba got there, he was shocked. There were lots of other kids there too. Some bigger, some smaller, but all of them clearly found enjoyment in acting infantile. There were toys and books scattered around the office, and almost everyone was accompanied by a parent. Seto walked up to the front desk. Mokuba, feeling shy, hid behind his leg. A nurse looked at Seto perkily.

"Welcome to Rugrats health care clinic! How can I help you today?"

"We're here for our four o'clock appointment with Doctor Webber."

The nurse handed him a clipboard filled with papers.

"Fill these out and return them here when you're done." She said, handing him the papers. She turned to Mokuba and smiled sweetly. "Would you like a lollipop, sweetie?"

He came out from behind his father and nodded, smiling shyly as the nurse handed him a grape sucker.

"What do you say?" Said Seto, gently.

"Thank you." He said, sincerely.

"You're welcome!" She said, cheerfully. Seto sat down at a chair and started filling out paperwork while Mokuba sat on the floor in front of him, stacking blocks while Spike sat with him. Another little boy came up to him, smiling.

"That looks real pretty. Can I play too?"

"Sure!" The boys started making a city with the blocks.

"I'm Kobe! It's nice to meet you!"

"I'm Mokuba and this is Spike." He said holding his dragon up.

"Cool! A blue-eyes white dragon! I love duel monsters!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! My Mommy even made me a blankie with my favorite monsters all over it."

"Neat! My Daddy is a champion." He said, proudly." Kobe's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Yeah! And my Uncle is the world champion!"

"Your uncle is Yugi Moto?!"

Mokuba giggled at his surprise "Yeah."

"Wow! That's so cool!"

Kaiba watched the interaction between the boys with interest. It seemed as if his son had made a new friend. A woman came and approached him.

"I see my Kobe has made a new friend." She said politely. Kaiba nodded swiftly.

"So it would seem."

"I'm Charlotte."

"Seto." He said, Shaking her hand. He was surprised at how open he was being. He supposed this was what regular parents did. This was how they made friends. He watched carefully as Mokuba kept playing. He seemed to be having fun. A nurse called out for Kobe and his Mother slipped Kaiba their phone number if they ever wanted to have a play date. Seto smiled at the huge grin that broke out on Mokuba's face. After that he finished filling out the paperwork and returned it to the front desk. He sat back down only to have Mokuba curl up in his lap. He couldn't help but smile as he cuddled him. One of the doors opened, and a nurse came in.

"For Mokuba!" She called, and took him and Seto back. After taking his height and weight and blood pressure, she assured them the doctor would be in shortly before leaving. Mokuba stuck his pacifier in his mouth and began to suck as he looked around the brightly colored room. It was made for small children. Befitting.

Mokuba jumped a foot in the air when the door finally opened.

"Hello!" He said, Happily. He reached out and shook Kaiba's hand. "I'm Doctor Webber." He turned to Mokuba. "And you must be Mokuba! It's so nice to meet you!" The doctor gasped Audibly. "And who is your friend there?" He asked, staring at the dragon.

"This is Spike." He said, proudly. The Doctor shook Spike's leg.

"Well it's great to meet you, spike! Now, what can I do for you two today?"

Mokuba looked at his Daddy to explain. Doctor Webber listened politely and determined the problem.

"It's a sinus infection. It'll make him not want to eat and have a stuffy nose."

"And the chills?"

"Those will go when the fever breaks. You have nothing to fear, Mr. Kaiba. Your son will be fine."

"Thank you, doctor." Kaiba said, shaking his hand again. The doctor handed him a prescription, said goodbye to the three of them, and left. Mokuba looked up at Seto.

"Daddy?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can we come back again?"

"Sure, buddy. Anytime."


	38. Togetherness

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! I'm so sorry for today's late update. Real life sort of kicked me in the ass. I just wanted to take a minute to tell you that updates will be slower this week, particularly on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. But fear not! I won't forget you all! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Mokuba clung to his father the whole way home. He had had fun at the doctors office, impossible as it may have seemed, and had even made a new friend, but now that the rush was over, he was incredibly tired. He cuddled with Spike, sucked on his pacifier, and put his head tiredly in his Daddy's lap before falling asleep. Seto was very careful to not move a muscle to Wake him. It reminded him of the day Mokuba had had his first accident, and he thought about what a long way the two of them had come since then.

A year ago, he would have never thought that he would be this kind, caring, and loving father. Fatherhood had never even been on his radar considering his horrible experiences with his stepfather. But Mokuba had changed him. With simple little acts of love and kindness, he had completely turned his life upside down. He had broken him down and put him back together in a way that had somehow made him a better person. Mokuba had awakened in him the elemental love that laid dormant in every man until he became a father.

He had the chauffeur run in and drop off the prescription. He didn't want to wake the angel sleeping in his lap. They got back on the road in less than ten minutes, which wasn't bad considering the high traffic rate in the area, but to Seto it felt like an eternity. As much as he wanted to spend every waking minute with his son, he was surprisingly eager to get back in the office. He wasn't comfortable being away from his work- even if it was for just a couple days. He was an active person- he enjoyed making decisions when it came to his company, attending hostile takeovers, and just being in charge in general.

They finally arrived at the manor. Very carefully, Kaiba picked up his child and carried him back to the nursery. He changed his diaper quickly before dressing him in a pair of warm footie pajamas, laying him in his crib, and letting him sleep while he went to get some work done.

He spent his time in his study, relieved to finally be home at last. As he looked at the picture of him and his child that he kept on his desk, it reinforced the fact that he really was back where he belonged. He felt happy as he finally got back on his laptop and started answering emails. He was surprised at how quickly time seemed to be passing him by. He thought he really should have been used to it by now, but it never seemed to really sink in. While working he kept a sharp ear out for Mokuba, just in case he was needed, but his son was sleeping peacefully. For a long while he was able to just enjoy the peace and quiet that came with his work. His mind buzzed with ideas, but he felt tranquil.

When he decided he needed a break to go and stretch his legs, he headed up to the nursery to see how his son was faring. When he poked his head through the door, Mokuba was still fast asleep. He looked down at his watch to catch the time. It was four thirty. He debated within himself for a good five minutes about waking him up, but ultimately decided against it, certain that he would be tired enough at bedtime no matter how long he slept now. He worked for another hour before shutting his computer down and going to get his son.

Mokuba's eyes opened when he heard the nursery door creak open. He rubbed his eyes with his fists and looked over to see his Daddy coming in with a smile on his face. Mokuba reached up for him, giggling happily. Seto scooped him into his arms and gave him a hug.

"Hey there buddy. How are you feeling?" He asked, getting him ready for a diaper change.

"Better." He said after taking his pacifier out.

"Good." He put a hand on his forehead and was happy to see his fever seemed to be going down. "You're fever is getting better too." Mokuba nodded. After he was changed and redressed, Seto pulled him onto his hip. "It's time for dinner."

Mokuba pouted, but didn't say anything.

Seto made sure soup was on the menu for tonight and was happy to feed Mokuba his favorite chicken soup. To both of their surprise, he ate the whole bowl. Seto beamed at him with ill-concealed pride. There was dessert, but neither of them partook in it. After dinner he went back to the nursery with his son and played with him, rolling a ball, building a city, and doing whatever else Mokuba could think of. If it made him feel even the tiniest bit better, then it was definitely worth his time and effort. When he got too tired to play, Seto took him out to watch some TV while he worked a little more, trying to catch up with everything he missed while on his business trip. Occasionally he glanced up to make sure Mokuba was alright, and every time he was. He was enjoying one of his favorite shows: Blues Clues. Seto smiled to himself every time Mokuba pointed out a clue.

There came a point when Mokuba was quiet when a clue was being revealed. Seto looked down to see Mokuba curled up in a ball, sucking his pacifier, his blue-eyes white dragon blanket draped over his small form and holding Spike tightly to his chest. Seto grinned and shut his laptop, bringing it back to the study and hooking it up to it's charger. He came back into the living room and gently cradled the child in his arms and carried him to bed. After changing him into a night diaper, he gave his son a tender kiss goodnight before leaving him to his dreams.


	39. Play Date

**IMPORTANT Author's Note: This story is** **NOT** **going on Hiatus. Updates may be particularly slow, but they will still be daily. I'm not done with this fic yet! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

It took about a week for Mokuba's infection to clear completely. Thankfully, the medication helped clear the worst of his symptoms. So, when he was finally back to his naturally bouncy self, Seto decided to do something special for his son. He had saved Charlotte's number in his cell phone and decided to give her a call. He arranged for Kobe to come to the manor one day after school. He just couldn't wait to see the look on his son's face when he saw his friend. As the day grew closer, he could barely contain his anticipation. When he thought about it, he shook his head.

Fatherhood had really jacked up his emotions.

Charlotte arrived with Kobe just before Mokuba arrived home from school. He had them both wait in the parlor, then went out to the living room to wait for his son.

Mokuba cheerily made his way through the door. He dropped his backpack by the front door and took his coat off, throwing it behind him. He saw his father waiting on the couch and ran up to him.

"Daddy!" He squealed, leaping into his father's lap. Seto gave him a hug and cuddle.

"Did you have a good day, Mokie?" He said sweetly. Mokuba nodded. Seto looked down at him with a smile.

"I have a surprise for you, bud." Mokuba looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Really?"

"Really. Why don't you go to the parlor and see?"

Excited, Mokuba ran there, not knowing what to expect. His jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw Kobe standing there. He looked back at his Daddy who was looking at him expectantly. The huge grin on Mokuba's face made all the planning worth it. Mokuba gave him a big hug and ran over to Kobe.

"Kobe!" He said excitedly.

"Mokuba!" He said, hugging him.

"How did you get here?"

"Well, your Daddy called my Mommy and sent a car for us."

"Cool! Wanna go play in my room?"

"Sure!" He said, and both boys ran to the nursery. Both parents smiled, watching their children together.

Seto broke the silence. "Would you like some coffee?" Charlotte smiled

"Sure. I always need a little pick me up around this time of day anyway."

Both adults went to the kitchen to talk while Hobson got their coffee.

"So, how did Kobe get into this anyway?" Asked Seto, sipping his Java.

"He's been incontinent his entire life, so the diapers were normal for him. But I noticed that he had this fascination with infantile things. He'd hide things from me- a pacifier in his pillowcase, a bottle under the bed, things like that. I don't know where he got them- I still don't, actually. But what really got my attention was how he'd act when there were babies around. At first I thought he just wanted the attention they were getting, but then I put it all together, and knew I had a decision to make. My Husband passed a few years ago, so it was just Kobe and I. I decided if this was what he wanted and was what made him happy, that I should just go along with it, so I did. And once I started, I never looked back." She took a drink of coffee. "What about Mokuba? What's his story?"

So Seto told her everything- from the first accident, to the adoption, the nursery, and everything else that went along with it. Charlotte listened politely, nodding every now and then. A few times he knew he had surprised her with Gozaburo and Cayman, but otherwise, she remained stoic. He had to say, he was mildly impressed by her. He didn't think anyone would be able to understand his plight as a parent, but she did- extremely well, in fact. He realized that this was what parents of little kids did when their kids were playing. He hadn't expected for it to feel so... Normal. To know that there was someone else who shared his struggles and stresses as a parent was oddly comforting. They talked for a while about unimportant things, before going to check up on their kids. Seto checked his watch. It was almost time for Mokuba's nap.

They peeked into the room to see a heartwarming sight. Both boys were laying down on the floor, heads right next to each other, sleeping on top of a pile of stuffed animals. Seto grinned and gently picked his son up and put him in his crib. Charlotte followed his lead and laid Kobe beside him. Neither one of the boys stirred in the least. They were both out cold. Seto led Charlotte out of the nursery and they returned to the kitchen.

"They must have tuckered themselves out playing." She said, sitting down.

"Apparently so. Usually it's a fight to get Mokuba to take his nap. This is an unexpected surprise."

"My Kobe's the same way. I don't think they'll ever appreciate naptime until they get to high school."

"Amen to that." Seto murmured, taking a drink of coffee.

"Thanks for letting us come over."

"If my son likes you, you're always welcome here." He said with a nod.

"And of course we'd be happy to return the favor anytime."

Seto smiled. "I might just have to take you up on that the next time I have a business trip. It would be good to know I'm leaving my son with a friend who understands his needs."

"He's welcome over at our home anytime."

After two hours, the parents Woke up their children and let them play for an hour more before Kobe and Charlotte left to go home. Mokuba was happy and cheerful the rest of the evening after seeing his friend. He jabbered and chatted about everything they'd done together, and Seto listened with a happy smile. Mokuba had finally found someone like him, and he had a feeling that they were going to be the best of friends. As he lay in his own bed that night, he reflected on his conversations with Charlotte and came to a realization. Maybe he wasn't as alone as he had always thought. Maybe, just maybe, he now had a real friend.


	40. Deal With The Devil

**Author's Note: 40 CHAPTERS GUYS! Thank you all so much for helping to inspire me this much! I hope you all love this chapter!**

 **And to Pharoh Atoms: I'm so sorry about your screen! But, to be fair, you've been with this story for forty chapters now- you should know I love surprising the crap out of you guys! Just to be safe, don't drink anything while reading this chapter, okay? I hope I can still surprise you!**

Maximillion Pegasus prided himself on many things- his work, his wealth, his class, and his strategizing skills. But more than anything he prided himself on never being surprised. So, when an unfamiliar helicopter approached his island, he was momentarily thrown off- but only momentarily. He could have used his millennium eye to see whom it was, but he enjoyed his surprises, and they almost never happened to him for that very reason. He swirled the wine in his glass around and sniffed it. The bouquet was lovely, and it should be. The wine was Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru- the most expensive wine in the world at $13,075.00 a bottle.

Croquet entered the room and went up to his boss.

"Sir, an unfamiliar helicopter has been spotted on the island."

"Oh bravo, Croquet. It only took you five minutes after I found out to tell me what I already knew. You really are getting better at your job." He said mockingly. Croquet almost blushed.

"Shall I escort whomever it is to the dungeons, sir?" He asked.

"No. Bring them to me. Let me find out why they're here for myself."

"Yes sir."

With that, Croquet disappeared. Pegasus waited impatiently for his security team to return. It took an hour for them to get back, but they did not come empty handed. In tow with them was a man with black hair and a matching mustache, wearing a burgundy suit, black tie, and several gold rings on his fingers. Pegasus took another sip of wine, clearly unimpressed.

"Maximillion Pegasus, my name is Gozaburo Kaiba. You're one of the best businessmen in the world, and I'm about to make you a proposition you can't refuse." At hearing his last name, Pegasus raised an eyebrow.

"Kaiba? As in Seto and Mokuba Kaiba?"

"I see you've met my stepsons."

"Unfortunately I have. But you didn't come this way for me to insult your adopted children. So do tell me what brings you here today before you begin to bore me and I send you away."

"Very well. I want your help in making sure Seto and his little brat stay out of my way- permanently. They have a nasty habit of turning up when they're not wanted. Plus, I do have a few things that could give us a little... Advantage."

Pegasus quirked an eyebrow. "Well?"

Gozaburo set his briefcase on the table and opened it up before handing it to Pegasus.

"I had one of my people take this outside a private facility. We still don't know what the facility is for, but take a look at the pictures."

Pegasus had just taken a sip of his drink when he saw the picture and spat his wine rather unattractively down his chin. As he stared at it, his servants were wiping his chin off with a linen napkin, but he didn't notice. The picture was just too weird. There was Mokuba, dressed in overalls and clutching a stuffed blue-eyes white dragon in one arm while holding Seto's hand. To Pegasus, he looked far more like a toddler than a boy.

"What in the world is going on here?!" He demanded.

"Seto adopted Mokuba as his own son a few months ago. My parental rights have been terminated." Pegasus was genuinely surprised.

"I didn't think Kaiba boy had that much of a heart."

"Oh he'd do anything for his baby brother." Said Gozaburo, putting an emphasis on the word "baby" and waiting to see if he would catch on to the meaning. That's when it clicked for Pegasus.

"You mean he-"

"Yes. Yes I do."

Pegasus was flabbergasted, but he only froze for a moment. He was quick to gain his composure as if he hadn't ever lost it.

"What an interesting little secret... It would be a shame if that got out to the public." He said, taking a sip of his wine, then refocused on the Matter at hand. "So why come to me with this? Clearly you have all you need to take them down. Why am I what you're looking for?"

"Because you're the only one who has ever been able to successfully capture them both and keep them from escaping. Normally I work alone, but now it seems like whenever I try and break those two apart they come back even stronger. I need someone who can pull them apart for good."

"How intriguing." He set down his glass on the white linen table. "Your faith in me is touching, but if I'm going to do what you ask, I'll expect something in return.

"Should you help me in this little business venture and get me back in the CEO spot, I'll give you twenty five percent of Kaiba Corp and access to all the latest technology before it even hits the market."

Pegasus' eyes flashed to the portrait of Cecelia hanging on the wall. The virtual software of Kaiba Corp would bring him one step closer to seeing his beloved again. The thought filled him with glee, but it was quickly tempered by what he saw through his millennium eye. Gozaburo was already planning on how to cheat him out of his fair share. A dirty dealing business man indeed. But now that he knew, he could easily turn the tables on him. He could see into the recesses of his mind, where he chuckled with arrogance over how clever and brilliant he was. He had taken Pegasus for a sucker.

He was sadly mistaken.

"Do we have a deal?" Asked Gozaburo, holding out his hand to Pegasus. He flashed a winning smile that had won over every media outlet in the nation with it's charm, charisma, and sincerity, but Pegasus saw right through it to the man beneath the surface who was laughing at him. Pegasus smiled wryly. He was going to beat this man at his own game and watch him as he fell apart. He took Gozaburo's hand and gave it a firm shake. His millennium eye glistened under his sheath of hair as he replied:

"It's a deal."


	41. Taken

**Author's Note: To Pharoh Atem: I've asked myself that same question many times, but couldn't figure it out until today- It takes place after season 2 in a slightly AU where Gozaburo didn't commit suicide, he just went into hiding instead. I hope that helps!**

The next morning was a Saturday, and for once Seto had no work to do, so he decided to surprise his son by taking the day off to be with him and take him around town. Naturally, Mokuba was delighted by this and happily agreed. He took a backpack full of things he didn't want to leave home without (namely his pacifier and of course Spike) and they set off for a day of bonding. Although they could have been driven everywhere, they decided to walk today to enjoy the day.

First they went to a restaurant for brunch, and then they went to the park. Mokuba took his time to swing and swing as long as he wished while Seto watched him carefully. After an hour or so, they left the park and Seto took him to the Arcade to play some games. When he was sure Mokuba was done, he asked if he wanted to take a walk through the city, and he agreed. He loved the fresh air and sunshine. They were walking down a narrow corridor when Seto was suddenly struck by the feeling of being watched and stopped dead in his tracks. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and immediately he whirled around into a defensive stance, protecting the child behind him. He heard a laugh that was all too familiar to him. Mokuba instinctively hid himself behind his father's leg, just barely peeking around him to see if his guess was correct. Indeed it was. As a host of bad memories flashed before his eyes, he saw Pegasus slither out from the shadows.

"Come now, Kaiba boy, I thought you'd be happy to see me, my dear old friend. Surely the events of Duelist Kingdom haven't spoiled that friendship, have they?" Kaiba snarled out a response.

"Get out of here now, Pegasus- before I really get angry. You're in my world now, and I'm more than up to the challenge of taking you down."

"Oh, but that's the beauty of it. I'm not acting alone this time." He said, snapping his fingers. Gozaburo stepped out from behind Mokuba.

"Hello, Seto. Did you miss me?"

"You? You're working with him?!" Seto sputtered, wrapping an arm protectively around his son.

"Yes I am. We've formed quite the formidable partnership with one goal in mind: To take you down! It was one of the smartest investments I've ever made."

"Perhaps you were able to get past one person, but you'll never outrun me!" Said Pegasus with a cackle. Kaiba gritted his teeth.

"What do you want?"

"It's not what I want. It's what you want. I know you want to keep your "son" safe." The way Pegasus put air quotes around the word "son" made him clench his fist angrily. Mokuba whimpered slightly, and it reminded him of what was really important.

"If you lay a hand on him, I swear I'll-"

"I take offense at that! I would never do something so archaic! I'm no barbarian."

"Then what is your plan?"

"It's not my plan. It's his."

Seto turned to face his stepfather, and took a step back when he saw him holding a taser stun gun.

"Now you'll see what power and money can really do!"

Seto stepped in front of Mokuba right as Gozaburo fired it and endured the horrible pain of electrocution. Mokuba watched in horror as his father- the strongest person he knew- toppled to the ground, twitching.

"Daddy!" He screeched. Seto could hear him. His paternal instincts were going crazy inside of him. He kept telling himself to get up, get up, but his body wouldn't listen to him. Mokuba felt fear rush through him as Gozaburo put his hand on his shoulder. He started to try and run away, but Gozaburo grabbed him by the backpack.

"Not so fast, Junior."

"Let me go!" He demanded.

"Not a chance, boy! You're my ticket back to the top of the business world where I belong. Now come on and follow me and I won't have to hurt you."

Mokuba had had more than enough of Gozaburo and Pegasus. Angry, scared, and frustrated beyond belief, he let out a scream.

"YOU'RE NOT MY DADDY!"

Now Gozaburo Kaiba was not a man easily shaken. He had lived his life as a man who crushed and triumphed over his enemies. He loved using his knowledge and insight to gain the advantage over his opponents and use their weaknesses against him. He had long since figured out the weaknesses in his stepsons: each other. But Mokuba's declaration had genuinely surprised him. He had been a happy child, always quiet and perhaps a bit shy, but never angry. So to see his first anger surprised him enough that he let go of Mokuba's backpack in shock.

It was only for a second, but that's all Mokuba needed to start running. Pegasus attempted to grab him, but Mokuba easily slipped from out of his grasp.

"Fool!" Cried Pegasus, enraged, "How could you let him get away?! That child could ruin everything we've worked for! Now go and find him before I'm forced to go after him myself!"

Gozaburo looked absolutely incensed at being criticized. But before he could get a word in edgewise, he saw the glint of Pegasus' millennium eye. Remembering what had happened to his stepsons before him, he started after the child, leaving Pegasus to deal with Seto, who was still laying motionless on the ground.

Although he still couldn't move the rest of his body, he had heard Mokuba's outburst and his head was positioned so that he had seen him run away. Although he was physically weak and unable to move, his head was perfectly clear. The only thing that he could think, the only thing that stayed with him was a single thought:

 _Just let him escape_.

Right after the thought flashed through his mind, his weakened body gave in- he passed out and watched as the the world around him went black.


	42. Guided

Mokuba was running as fast as he could down the sidewalk, looking over his shoulder every so often for a trace of Gozaburo. When he saw a flash of burgundy, he bolted into a nearby alley and hid behind a trash can. He waited and watched carefully, but Gozaburo ran straight by without so much as glancing at him. He stayed hidden a few minutes more before coming out. That's when he realized that he was in an unfamiliar part of town, and that he was hopelessly lost. He wandered around a few minutes before he sat down on the sidewalk, pulled his knees to his chest, and started crying.

A woman walking by him noticed and stopped beside him.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" She asked, concerned. He shook his head.

"I'm lost." He said, sniffling. "Somebody took my Daddy away. Can you help me find my Uncle's house?"

The woman felt pity for the young boy. "Sure I will."

Mokuba sniffed and smiled a little. She smiled back at him. "Now, where does your uncle live?" He told her about the game shop. "I know right where that is!" She said. Mokuba wiped his eyes.

"Really?"

"Really." She promised.

The walk there was long, but when they got there, Mokuba ran inside, only stopping to thank the woman who had helped him get there. Solomon had just rung up a purchase when Mokuba ran in.

"Mr. Moto, is Uncle Yugi here?" He asked, putting his tiny hands on the counter.

"I'm afraid not, Mokuba. He went out an hour ago with his friends. You're welcome to wait for him here if you like." Solomon saw the crushing disappointment fill his eyes.

"Okay." He said, Meekly.

"Is something wrong?" He asked gently. Mokuba nodded, trying not to cry. Solomon went around the side and put a hand on the young lad's shoulder. Mokuba couldn't help the tears streaming down his face.

"P-Pegasus and my old stepfather teamed up and took my Daddy away." He whimpered. Solomon decided to close up the shop early to help the child. When they reached the living room, Mokuba took off his backpack and pulled out Spike. He cried into his light blue fur until he couldn't anymore. He clutched the beloved dragon to his chest as tightly as he could, hiccuping when the tears finally subsided.

"What a nice dragon." Solomon commented. Mokuba smiled a little.

"My Daddy gave him to me. His name is Spike."

"How nice."

"Thank you for helping me."

"Of course. You've done much to help my grandson. I'm happy to give you the same courtesy."

It was just then that Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tèa entered the house.

"Grandpa! I'm home!" He called, but froze when he saw Mokuba on the couch.

"Mokuba? What's wrong?" His face was red from crying.

"Please help me, Uncle Yugi."

"What is it?" He asked again. Mokuba explained about Pegasus and Gozaburo.

"Where did they take your Dad? Do you know?"

"No. But I'm really scared that something bad is gonna happen to him." He said, crying again. Yugi put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Mokuba. We'll find him. I promise."

Seto Kaiba awoke lying on a cold, smooth surface. His vision was blurred for a few seconds, but when it cleared he could see that he was in some sort of warehouse- and that he was off the ground somehow. The floor of the warehouse was dirt and cement. This was black paneled tiling and it almost looked like-

Wait. Maybe it _was_.

He shakily got to his feet to see that he was standing in a dueling arena. Suddenly, he heard laughter echoing through the house. The sound sent a jolt through his heart as he remembered what had happened before. He didn't know if he believed in a God, but at that moment he was just hoping his prayer had been heard and that his son had somehow escaped the clutches of the two most despicable beings he had ever had the displeasure of meeting. He heard the sound of one of the dueling platforms rising. Pegasus stood there across from him, chuckling to himself.

"Welcome back, Kaiba boy. Had enough beauty sleep for one day?" He mocked. Seto was not amused.

"Pegasus. What have you done with my son?!" He demanded, slamming his hands on the paneling.

"It's not what I have done, Kaiba boy. It's your stepfather who's in charge of your little boy, and I've left his fate in his capable hands. Besides, you have something much bigger to be worrying about."

"And what might that be?" He growled through gritted teeth.

"Why our duel, of course!" Pegasus said, holding his hands out in a dramatic gesture.

"Duel? I never agreed to duel you!"

"Oh but you will. That is if you ever want to see your baby boy again."

"You son of a-"

"Ah, ah, ah, language my dear boy." He said, pulling out his cell phone and had his finger hovering over a number. "Or I can simply call your father and have him dispose of your young child before you can even get out the door."

Kaiba growled.

"How frightening." Pegasus said in mock fear. "But, Kaiba boy, you are the one who should be afraid, because the stakes of this duel will crush your spirit- literally!"

"What are you talking about, Pegasus?!" He cried.

"It's quite simple, really. In this shadow game every time you lose life points, your spirit- the very essence of who you are, what drives you, and what makes you tick- will be drained of energy. When your life points reach zero, your spirit will be destroyed. And when it's destroyed, your body will remain in tact, but you will be an empty shell of your former self, much like the symptoms of depression. so get ready to say goodbye to who you are, because by the time this duel is over, you will be gone! Now get ready, because it's time to duel!"


	43. Fighting Spirit Duel: Part One

**Author's Note: Happy Halloween, everyone! I hope this chapter really raises your spirits! (Pun intended)**

Mokuba, Yugi, Tristan, Joey, and Tèa all started back on the path to where Kaiba had been taken. He figured that he couldn't have gotten far since he couldn't see any of Pegasus' or Gozaburo's goons anywhere when they were attacked. Then again, maybe they had come and were hiding. He really wasn't sure. But he knew they couldn't have gotten far either way. Mokuba was particularly sensitive to seeing Gozaburo again. He scanned the street every minute for him, but he was never there. But, he knew that he might not be there because he was waiting somewhere else to strike like the snake he was. When they arrived at the alleyway, he heard the terrible booming laugh of his former stepfather.

"I knew you'd come back here, Mokuba." He said, stepping out from the shadows. "You'd never leave your brother behind."

Mokuba hid slightly behind Yugi at the first sound of his voice, but was still indignant at what Gozaburo said. "He's not my brother, he's my Daddy." He corrected angrily.

"No matter what you call him, I'm the only one who knows where he is. So I suggest you follow me before you say something you'll regret."

"Why should I believe you? You said it yourself that I can't trust anyone- not even you."

"Smart boy. But you don't have any other choice now, do you?"

Mokuba faltered at that. He had a point.

"We can find him ourselves." Yugi piped up, putting a hand on Mokuba's shoulder.

"You really think so?" Asked Mokuba.

Yugi nodded. "I know so." His own instincts were telling him to get away from this man.

"Very well. But you'll never find him." Gozaburo said with a laugh. The others exited the alley, and Gozaburo kept watch over them, following from a safe distance as they searched the city for Seto Kaiba.

Seto himself was in the middle of cutting his opponent's deck. Pegasus was smirking as Kaiba got back his deck. Once they both were settled in, Seto watched as the room around them began to be coated in a purple fog. Thicker and thicker the haze grew until the only visible things were Pegasus and the arena itself. Seto couldn't help the chill that ran up his spine. Sure, he'd seen this happen to other people, but he hadn't expected it to happen to him. But he squared his shoulders. he wouldn't back down now. Not with everything that was at stake.

"Ready, Kaiba boy?" Asked Pegasus, his millennium eye glinting evilly. But Kaiba would not be intimidated.

"I'll go first." He said. He drew his first five cards, but didn't look at what they were. Since he knew Pegasus could look into his mind and see his cards, after duelist kingdom he had made a point of often changing his decks. Every day he had Mokuba bring him a deck so that way even he couldn't know what it was. He tilted the cards up just enough to see the color of what they were. "I'll place two cards face down and put a monster in defense mode!"

How fun, thought Pegasus, He's going to play blindly. He giggled slightly, more than amused. "Very well. I'll play Sangan in attack mode! Now Sangan, attack his face down monster!"

When Sangan attacked, he found out that the face down monster was Kaiser Sea Horse. He lost 600 life points, but didn't mind. "Thanks to your sea horse I can add a monster with 1500 or less attack to my hand." He smiled and picked his card. "Just to keep you guessing, I'll lay a card face down as well.

Pegasus has no monsters out to defend him, he must have laid a trap! Thought Kaiba. He laid one more trap card down on the field. "I place one card face down, and end my turn."

"As you wish." Said Pegasus, drawing a card. His eyes flashed at his next card, but as quickly as the look was there it was gone. Seto got a sinking feeling in his stomach. "First I'll play Rogue Doll in attack mode! And then I'll equip it with the magic card Big Bang Shot! It gives my Rogue doll an additional four hundred attack points and when it attacks a defense position monster inflicts piercing battle damage to your life points! Now Rogue Doll, attack his sea horse!"

With a flash of light, the sea horse was wiped out, and Kaiba's life points were depleted by 400. As they went down, he began to feel drained and devoid of energy- the same way he did after an afternoon of meetings at Kaiba Corp with the idiots on the board of directors. His limbs grew heavy, and his stance became a little less straight.

"What's the matter, Kaiba boy? Getting tired already? But we haven't even gotten the best part yet!" He laughed. Kaiba stood up a little straighter out of irritation. "Next I'll activate my face down card: Dark Hole! No matter what cards you had on the field, they'll be of no use to you now!" He laughed. Kaiba felt vaguely nervous, but didn't show it. "Now, I'll use the magic card double summon! It allows me to normal summon one Extra monster this turn, and I choose to summon my Sonic Bird to the field! His special effect lets me add one ritual spell card from my deck to my hand. And finally, for the pièce de résistance, the crème de la crème, prepare for the ultimate blast from the past: Toon World!" He said laughing. When that book popped open, Kaiba thought he was going to be sick. "Now my Toon Sonic Bird, attack his life points directly!"

With one foul swoop, 2000 more of Kaiba's life points were gone. Pegasus watched with satisfaction as he struggled to stay on his feet.

"I think that's more than enough for one turn."

Kaiba was frozen in his tracks. He didn't know what to do. If he looked at his cards and came up with a strategy, Pegasus would know about it and counter it before he could even play a card, but if he kept playing blindly he was going to lose. He had to figure out a way to keep Pegasus out of his mind, or he might never get home to his son again.


	44. Fighting Spirit Duel: Part Two

**Important Author's Note: This chapter was partly inspired by the following song verse:**

 **"I ain't slowin' down for no one, I am almost homeward bound.** **Almost in a coma, yeah homie come on dole 'em out. Daddy, don't you die on me, daddy, better hold your ground. F***, don't I know the sound of that voice, Yeah baby hold me down." -"Going Through Changes" by Eminem**

Kaiba stared at Pegasus and at the two ridiculous looking Toons on his side of the field. Pegasus had his arms crossed over his chest, looking superior.

"Are you going to make your move, Kaiba Boy? You're more than welcome to forfeit if you would like."

"Never!" He growled. He couldn't give up. Not with his son depending on him.

Pegasus took a look into his opponents mind. Every memory, good or bad, was viewed. Every dueling card, every strategy, every moment between father and son, all of that was Pegasus' now too. What surprised him the most was the depth of love he had for his child. Although he hated to admit it (he would never say so aloud) that love rivaled even his own for Cecelia. He shook his head to clear it. That was ridiculous. No love was greater than his.

Kaiba looked at him with renewed ferocity. "I place a monster in defense mode, and I put two cards face down."

"Very well." Said Pegasus. "Rogue Doll, attack his face down card!"

With one strike, Vorse Raider was struck down.

"And on top of that I play Raimei. It decreases your life points by an extra three hundred points!" Pegasus laughed.

Kaiba felt every point being wretched from his body.

"And, with just one magic card more: I play Tremendous Fire and decrease my own life points by 500 to inflict 1000 damage to yours!"

The sensation was so debilitating it brought him to his knees. He clutched his chest in pain.

Mokuba and his friends were still searching for Kaiba when Mokuba suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Everyone skidded to a halt.

"What is it, Mokuba?" Asked Yugi.

"He's somewhere close by!" Mokuba declared.

"How do you know?" Asked Tristan.

"I can feel it..." He started running and opening doors. In this section of town, there were empty warehouses. Mokuba was in the middle of throwing doors open when he realized that he had been here before.

This area was where Cayman Jakobe had held him when he was kidnapped. Suddenly he stopped opening random doors and ran straight for warehouse K. When he yanked the door open, he saw the thick purple smog looking place and ran toward it.

"Daddy!" He screamed. "Daddy!" But when he ran into the smog, he only ended up on the other side and went back. Yugi and the others caught up with him. He turned to his Uncle.

"Please can you help me get inside?" He begged.

"I can try." Said Yugi. He took Mokuba's hands and channeled the magic of his millennium puzzle.

Seto was still on the ground in searing pain. And then, he heard a voice.

"Daddy!"

Suddenly the pain evaporated from his body and his head snapped up toward the source of the sound. There his son stood next to Yugi Moto. His eyes flew open wide.

"Mokuba." He hadn't realized that the word escaped from his lips. He clutched the railing and pulled himself as far as he could to the edge without leaving the platform. His instincts went into overdrive as the need to protect and defend surpassed all else.

Pegasus looked at him with irritation. "I don't take interruptions kindly! You will pay for ruining my fun!" He said, moving his hair to reveal his millennium eye.

Suddenly, Seto's body rolled from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head, and felt the strangest popping sensation. When he looked down, he was startled to see that he was looking at his body. But it was a hollow shell. He was grateful for its use. With a nod to the empty vessel, his spirit flew in front of his son, and he stretched out his arms, prepared to take the blow of whatever Pegasus planned to do. But Pegasus never touched him. He tried, but Something else was protecting them. Something unseen. He tried for several minutes, but gave up. Kaiba's spirit returned to his body, and he stared at his son.

"Daddy, you have to win! I need you! You never gave up before and you can't start now! You can beat him! I know you can! I'm here for you! I believe in you!"

And suddenly, it all became clear. Mokuba was the answer. His belief in him and deep admiration could perhaps help him in his duel. The incredible weight of the damage that had come to him in this battle suddenly didn't seem so heavy anymore, and he got back to his feet. Mokuba smiled at him one more time before he disappeared. Yugi had strained the connection to the shadow realm as long as he possibly could, but he had grown weak with the strain it caused his body. But Mokuba had done what he set out to do. Now all he could do was wait. So he sat down on the floor, took Spike out of his backpack and into his arms, sucked his thumb, and did just that while his uncles and aunt guarded against intruders. But he was far from gone. Seto clutched the locket around his neck, as if harnessing a secret strength locked deep inside of it. Seto sent his son a silent thanks for all of the inner strength that he had given him.

Pegasus was slightly taken aback at seeing Seto on his feet, but he didn't show it on his face.

"This duel isn't over yet, Pegasus!" Seto thundered. Then, he looked at his hand, brazenly daring Pegasus to try and read his mind. Pegasus was more than happy to oblige him. He looked into his mind and tried to see his cards, but to his absolute shock, was being blocked. "You think you're all powerful because of your millennium eye, but there's something you'll never understand: the love a father has for his son. My son means everything to me, and with his help I will take you down! So get ready Pegasus, because you're about to lose!"


	45. Fighting Spirit Duel: Part Three

**Important Author's Note: Hello amazing fans of mine! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! But today I've come to ask for your help with something! You see, I'm looking for someone to draw me a picture for this story. So if you're good at drawing, or know someone who is, message me for more details. Thank you all so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Pegasus was slightly taken aback by Kaiba's little speech. Not to say he was scared- it took far more to upset a man of his caliber- but the fact that he could no longer see Seto's cards was unnerving to say the least. Plus the confidence he now possessed ruined the joy he found in watching others crumble underneath his power. But he couldn't show it. Still, he stood his ground and stayed strong and proud. He crossed his arms over his chest arrogantly, tilting his face up in a way that made Kaiba certain that he was snubbing him.

"Well Kaiba boy, you talk a big game but you know what they say: talk is cheap. If you truly intend on winning this duel, then make your move."

"I will!" Seto growled, drawing his next card. "I use card destruction to discard my old hand and draw a new one. And pot of greed to draw two extra cards. I play Dian Ceto The Cure Master to increase my life points by 1000! And now I summon my Battle Ox. But I'm not done yet Pegasus! I play the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy toon world! And now that it's gone, your Sonic Bird doesn't stand a chance thanks to the effect of black pendant! Now Battle Ox, attack his Sonic Bird!"

The bird was shattered, as was Pegasus' strategy. His life points went down by two hundred. He couldn't believe that his precious Toon World was gone. He had put his heart and soul into that card, only to have it to destroyed. His anger blazed brightly inside him. But Kaiba wasn't done.

"It's still my turn Pegasus, and I still have a few more things to do. I use the magic card double summon to bring forth La Jinn, The Mystical Genie Of The Lamp! And I sacrifice them both to bring forth my Blue Eyes white Dragon! Now I'll use the magic card Suicide Sacrifice! It takes 1000 points from both of us and tributes my dragon so that I can summon the two other Blue-Eyes in my deck without sacrificing monsters! Then I play monster reborn to bring back the other Blue Eyes I lost. And finally, I use polymerization to fuse them into my Blue Eyes ultimate Dragon!"

Pegasus stared in awe at the fusion monster that came roaring to life on Seto's side of the field.

"Oh, and I almost forgot: When black pendant is sent to the graveyard, it inflicts 500 damage to your life points!"

Pegasus was in complete disbelief. Kaiba had taken him down 1700 life points in one turn.

"Oh, and one last thing: I play the magic card Mound Of The Bound Creator! This card protects level 10 monsters from being destroyed by card effects. And if that monster is destroyed in battle, you get 1,000 life points worth of damage."

For the first time in Seto's memory, Pegasus looked afraid.

"Get ready, Pegasus, because next turn it all ends!"

Pegasus drew his card and smirked.

"I'm afraid not, Kaiba boy! I play the Magician Of Faith, and flip summon her to activate her special ability: I can bring forth any spell card from my graveyard! Get ready, dear boy: Toon World is back on the field!" He said, laughing. He watched as his magician of faith was sucked into the book and popped back out as a toon. Kaiba cringed. That was insanely creepy. "I'll place two cards face down, and end my turn."

Seto drew his next card and grinned evilly. "I play the card Stamping Destruction! It only works if I have a dragon type monster on the field. It lets me Destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field and inflict 500 points of Direct Damage to the destroyed card's controller. And guess which card I choose? It's time to send your toons back to the Television where they belong!"

Pegasus stared at him in anger.

"And I'll use Bait Doll to force the activation of one of your traps! And If the timing of the activation of the Trap Card is incorrect, I can negate the effect and destroy it!"

The card he activated was Raigeki. Since there were no traps on the field, the effect was negated.

"Now I activate giant trounade! And send that other card back to your hand! Now there's nothing protecting your magician from my attack! Now, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack with white lightning!"

With a bright flash of white light, Pegasus' last line of defense was destroyed. With a loud shriek, his magician of faith was blasted to pieces. Pegasus watched in horror as his life points hit zero. How could he have lost? More importantly, how could Kaiba have pulled such an incredible combination of cards in one turn? He didn't know, but he knew Kaiba couldn't have been cheating- he would have known. Maybe there was something to this fatherhood thing he was talking about.

Unbeknownst to all of them, Gozaburo had snuck into the warehouse, and was waiting in the shadows to strike.

Mokuba sat watching the purple haze surrounding the dueling arena, waiting for his father to come out. He cuddled Spike extra tight, praying for him to win. He was the first one to see the fog finally lift.

Kaiba felt the force that have gave him the extra push he needed leave his body. His body began to shake and he held himself up long enough to grunt out three words:

"Pegasus... You lose." He looked him in the eyes one time before the last of his strength failed him and he collapsed to the floor, vision blurring, but he could make out the faint outline of his son.

Mokuba saw him fall and got up from the ground and started running.

"Daddy!" He cried. But before he could get to him, Gozaburo snaked an arm around him. Mokuba let out a shriek that startled all of them.

Seto's eyes suddenly sharpened and adrenaline coursed through his body. He flung himself over the railing in a front flip and ran straight at Gozaburo. Seto knocked him onto his back and yanked Mokuba from out of his grasp, putting himself in front of him. He didn't trust him or Pegasus to stay in one place and Ushered Mokuba into a corner until the proper authorities arrived. Gozaburo was found violating his parole, but by the time the cops got there, Pegasus had disappeared and no one had seen him leave. Only when both were gone did Kaiba finally succumb to the exhaustion inside of him and collapsed when an ambulance arrived to take him and his son to the hospital, while Yugi and his friends watched in sorrow.


	46. Quiet

Mokuba sat quietly in the ambulance as the EMT's worked on his father. He cuddled Spike in his arms and kept to himself. Occasionally they checked him over, but he never said anything. He had to watch as they unloaded his father from the ambulance and pushed the gurney through the doors. A kind nurse took him by the hand and had him checked over by a doctor. Other than a few bruises, he was fine. After that they let him into his father's room. There was a single chair sitting by the bed, and Mokuba parked himself there, staring at his Daddy. Ha had spike in one arm and his thumb in his mouth, but he never moved a muscle. Nurses came and asked if he wanted something to eat, but he never replied. It was like he was somewhere else, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. Even when Yugi and his friends came, he never responded to outside stimuli.

Kaiba had been diagnosed with a severe case of exhaustion. He had already been hooked up to an IV for fluids (he was very dehydrated) and was resting comfortably for now. The doctors outside his door said that he would be fine, but that they didn't know when he would finally wake up. They decided to feed him through a tube and had him him hooked up to a catheter for the time being.

The press, of course, had had a field day with the story. The CEO and Vice President of Kaiba Corp both in the hospital? It was a media gold mine. Several camera crews had been caught trying to sneak a peek at the two brothers, but had luckily been caught and booted out of the hospital before they could get to their room.

For two days there was no news on either of them. Yugi and his friends came and visited for quite a long time, but there was no change in father or son. They all talked to Mokuba, but he remained as still and silent as a statue. Yugi got the sense that he wouldn't be back to normal until Kaiba was awake. His friends thought the same. There was little to do in the hospital room other than talk or occasionally pray for their conditions to improve- but since none of them were particularly religious they kept it mostly to talking. Once in a while they dueled with one another to break up the boredom of the day, but more often than not they just sat quietly with the two of them. Around seven in the evening they decided to go their separate ways. They all said goodbye to father and son, and went home for the night. They went to school in the morning, did their homework right after, and then headed to the hospital as soon as they were finished. At first it seemed as though that day would be the same as the others, but that day was different.

At around four that afternoon, Kaiba opened his eyes to the harsh fluorescent lighting of the hospital's overhead lights. He let out a low moan. They all looked over to see Kaiba's fingers twitching. He was back. Yugi walked up to him.

"Hey Kaiba. How are you feeling?"

"Yugi... Where's my son?" He asked, still exhausted.

Yugi pointed to the chair across from him.

"He hasn't moved for the past two days."

Seto shot up like a rocket. "What?"

"He hasn't moved." Yugi repeated.

Seto reached out and put a hand on his son's knee, considering that was as far as he could reach.

"Mokuba." He whispered, quietly.

That was all it took to break Mokuba out of his self-induced trance. His eyes flashed quickly at the familiar sound and finally blinked. He pulled his thumb out of his mouth.

"Daddy?" He asked, curiously. Kaiba nodded. Mokuba's eyes filled with tears and he ran into his father's waiting arms. Seto could not accurately describe the relief that had cracked open inside of his heart. He couldn't help the single tear that slid down his cheek. Mokuba was crying in his chest, but it didn't matter. His son was now safe. Thank was all he cared about. He tenderly kissed the crown of his head and pressed him closer to his chest.

"It's okay, Mokie. It's okay." He said.

Mokuba murmured something unintelligible into his chest.

"What was that?" He asked. Mokuba whispered it into his ear. Kaiba nodded. "Alright. Hold on." He said and pushed the "call nurse" button. A perky looking blonde nurse entered the room. He quietly explained about his son's medical condition and asked for a fresh diaper. The nurse obliged him, and Kaiba made quick work of changing his son. When that was done, Mokuba curled up on the bed, snuggled into his father's side, and fell asleep just in time for a doctor to come in.

"Good evening, Mr. Kaiba. How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

The doctor checked him over. "You're doing better than I anticipated. You should be able to go home in two days."

"Doctor, I have a company to run. Can you release me today? I'll stay home if need be, but I can't stand hospitals."

"Sorry, sir. But I can't have you leave the hospital if I think you're still at risk of exhaustion."

"But I-"

"You've been asleep for three days. Whatever happened to you before you got here took a severe toll on your body, and I cannot release you until I believe you are one hundred percent recovered from your collapse. I'd like to help you, I would, but I can't." With that, he strolled out of the room. Kaiba gritted his teeth. That was doctors for you. He didn't feel like talking to anyone, so he turned his attention to the little boy curled up beside him. He stroked his hair gently and watched him smile in his sleep. He continued watching over him until his own eyelids grew heavy. Yugi and his friends took the hint and left father and son to sleep.


	47. Friendship

Kaiba woke up long before his son did. He laid in his bed for a long time, just listening to the quiet breathing of his child. He stared up at the ceiling, sometimes tracing faces in the texture of the wall. More often than not though, he kept looking at Mokuba. His little face was shrouded in thick black hair, but Kaiba could still see the peaceful expression on his face. Quite honestly, he was surprised. He had expected the boy to be tossing and turning in his sleep with nightmares about what he'd been through. But instead, here he was, sleeping quietly. It seemed as though his presence was enough to combat the bad dreams as they came- or perhaps to stop them all completely. He didn't know. But he was grateful nonetheless.

Occasionally he would glance up at the clock and see another half hour had gone by. He still didn't know where all the time went to, but he didn't mind it right now. The more time that passed now the better- every minute that passed was a minute closer to getting out of there. But until he actually could leave, he would focus on his son.

When Mokuba woke up, he gently lifted his head to see that it was pitch black outside. How long had he been asleep? He wasn't sure. He cuddled Spike a little tighter. That's when he heard the familiar laugh of his father.

"Daddy?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Hey buddy. Did you have a good sleep?" He asked. Mokuba nodded with a smile, snuggling into his father's side.

"I miss shu." He said, hugging him tightly.

"I missed you too, bud. But it's going to be okay now."

"Pwomise?" He asked, looking up at his father with big eyes.

Kaiba nodded and kissed his forehead. "I promise." Mokuba snuggled up to him and decided to go back to sleep.

The next morning arrived shockingly fast. Kaiba had spent much of it making phone calls to people at work, assigning them jobs while he was laid up in the hospital. Mokuba almost never left his side. Although he didn't say anything, he wanted to go home badly. He missed his crib and his toys and his blankets and his bottles. He just wanted to pretend like this never happened and have everything go back to normal. But he knew it wasn't going to be that easy. He played with Spike on the floor next to his Daddy's bed, but was quickly growing bored with having just one toy. Although Seto was busy with phone calls and trying to man his company from a hospital bed, he was not unaware of Mokuba's plight. As a matter of fact, he had already come up with a strategy to deal with it. He just had to wait for Yugi and his friends to get here.

Like clockwork, they arrived at 4PM, bearing Kaiba's missed assignments. He set the work on his bedside table and looked over to his son, giving him a dollar.

"Why don't you go get yourself something from the vending machine?" He asked. Mokuba nodded.

"Okay, Daddy." He said, smiling.

"Come on, Mokuba. I'll go with you." Said Yugi.

As soon as Seto was certain they were out of earshot, he speed dialed a number.

"Charlotte? It's Seto. Listen, I need a favor..."

He finished up his call right as the two of them got back, and feigned innocence. But he couldn't help himself from smiling on the inside. Mokuba crawled next to him, and he ruffled his hair playfully.

An hour passed by with little activity. All of them spoke at one point or another, but there wasn't any substantial conversation going on. But Seto was fine with that. It would just serve to make his little surprise for his son even more special. Finally, at 5:15, all of them heard footsteps coming toward the door. Yugi and his friends didn't recognize the patrons at the door, but Mokuba certainly did. He ran up to boy about his age and gave him a big hug.

"Kobe!"

"Mokie!" The two boys giggled at one another.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Mokuba, excited.

"Your Daddy called us." He said. "Oh! and I have a surprise for you!" He pulled off his toy story backpack and pulled out a little stuffed fish from inside.

"This is Mr. Swimmyfin. Mommy always gives him to me special when I don't feel good and he makes me feel all better in no time. I thought maybe you might need him right now."

Mokuba hugged his best friend. "Thank you." He looked up at her. "Thank you Auntie Charlotte." He said sweetly. She smiled at him gently.

"Anytime."

"Kobe, do you wanna meet my auntie and uncles?"

"Sure!"

"This is Auntie Tèa, Uncle Tristan, Uncle Joey, and Uncle Yugi. Everyone, this is my best friend Kobe."

Everyone murmured their hellos as Kobe looked at them in awe. "Wow! You're Yugi Moto and Joey Wheeler! You won Duelist Kingdom and Battle City!" He gushed. Yugi blushed. Joey on the other hand, wasn't so modest, and told Kobe all about his wins.

Charlotte spoke with Seto a few minutes before clearing her throat. "Alright. I think that's enough for one day. Say your goodbyes, Kobe.

He did so, then went over to hold his mother's hand.

"Bye Kobe." Waved Mokuba.

"What do you mean bye, Mokie? Didn't your Daddy tell you?"

"Tell me what?" He asked, confused.

"You're sleeping over at my house tonight!"

Mokuba started getting excited, but stopped short. "But... My Daddy's in the hospital..."

"That's alright, buddy. You won't even notice I'm gone. Trust me. I planned this special for you. I want you to go on and have some fun, okay? Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I promise."

"Okay..." He said, meekly. He hugged his Daddy one last time before following Kobe and his mother out the hospital room door.


	48. Story Time

**Author's Note: The story Seto reads to Mokuba is of my own creation and may NOT be used without my express written permission. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

Mokuba and Kobe sat in the back of the car, playing with their stuffed animals while Charlotte drove back to her home. The drive was relatively long, but it seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. In no time at all they were pulling up to the driveway. Mokuba grabbed Spike and timidly walked up to the door before going inside.

There was a door on his left that led to the garage. The kitchen was closest to the door on his right side. It seemed small, but it looked pretty. The dining room table was directly across from it on her left. He noted with a smile that Kobe's high chair was already in place. To the left of the kitchen was the living room. While the kitchen and dining room were tiled, the living room was covered in a tan shag carpeting. There was a large flat screen TV and two leather couches. On the furthermost wall in the house was a sliding glass door that went to the backyard. He could see the green grass from his current position in the house. Had he gone out back, he would have seen a small table with three chairs on it under the porch, and a cushioned swing with its own awning. Behind the living room couches was a hallway. The first door on the left was the nursery. The door next to it was the bathroom. The furthest door down was Kobe's "room" in case of company. The door closest to that on the right was the master bedroom, and the one beside it was the laundry room.

Mokuba picked up his backpack and quietly made his way to the nursery, although he couldn't help but sneak a peek at the master bedroom. The walls were beige and unexciting. The California king size bed had its tan headboard resting against the left wall. It was covered in all white with large fluffy pillows and a goose down-filled comforter. There were two matching small beside tables, both holding a lamp and a framed picture. With a small drawer beneath it. The one on the left harbored a digital clock. The wall opposite the door held two large windows, both decorated with curtains and several photos, and a wooden desk with a matching chair. The desk top held a laptop, several sheets of white paper, a coffee mug full of pens, and a silver desk lamp. To the left of it was a large mahogany six-shelf bookshelf. Across from the bed were two sets of five drawers for clothing. In the left corner of the room was a cushioned chair and matching ottoman. On the right of the drawers was the door to the master bathroom, which, unbeknownst to him, held a large spa-like bathtub and separate shower on the right wall, and toilet next to double sinks on the left. At the furthest wall were two double doors that led to a huge walk-in closet. It was nice, he decided. It actually reminded him of a hotel.

Noting that he had fallen behind, he ran to catch up with Kobe, and looked in wonder at his nursery. This nursery was much like his own, except the wallpaper was different, with teddy bears all over it. It didn't take long for him to feel at home. Soon, however, both boys began to yawn. It was way past their nap time. Charlotte gathered her son and Mokuba in her lap for story time. As good as Auntie Charlotte's story was, Mokuba wanted to hear one from his Daddy before he went to sleep. So, with Charlotte's permission, he called him.

"Hello?"

"Hi Daddy."

"Hey there, buddy. What's up?"

"Can you tell me a story before I go to sleep?"

"Sure, buddy. What story do you want to hear?"

"A new one!"

"Alright. How about I make one up instead? Sound good?"

"Yeah!" He said, giggling. Kaiba laughed.

"Alright, here goes:  
Once there was a little boy who was very proud to say  
That he was a big boy who was grown up in every way.  
His Daddy watched him playing but was afraid he didn't know  
How to protect his little boy and also let him go.  
Every day he was growing, getting bigger and stronger  
And every day his Daddy wished his boy would stay little a bit longer.  
Then there came a day when Daddy felt his boy was all grown up  
His son had grown from small to big and was no longer a pup.  
The child who had needed him was always in his heart,  
But now the time had come for him to make a whole new start.  
One day the Daddy sat outside looking at the trees  
Smelling the fresh air and enjoying the light breeze.  
The boy came up to him outside to beg and plead  
He said to his daddy, "this is exactly what I need!"  
His Daddy went and smiled at him, a twinkle in his eye,  
As both father and son looked up at the sky  
"Now that you're getting bigger you don't need me like before,  
Pretty soon you'll spread your wings and then you'll start to soar.  
I love you so dearly and you mean everything to me  
And I just can't wait to find out who you'll grow up to be.  
But sometimes I miss the little boy you used to be  
When you were a little bit more reliant on me.  
I know it sounds like nonsense but from the very start  
You're the only thing that mattered enough to hold all of my heart."  
The boy looked up at his daddy and was silent for a moment or two,  
And said, "But Daddy, I still need you.  
I might be more grown up now and can do stuff on my own,  
But that doesn't mean I know everything there is of being grown.  
I still need you to teach me and to guide me through it all  
Because I know you'll always be there to catch me when I fall.  
I may be getting bigger, and that's something you know,  
But I'll always need you Daddy, no matter how big I grow."  
The Daddy gave the boy a hug and a little kiss,  
Remembering that these little moments were what he didn't want to miss."

Mokuba yawned and snuggled up under the covers. "Night night, Daddy."

"Night night, buddy."

With that, Mokuba fell asleep.


	49. Forgotten

Mokuba woke up from his nap before Kobe did. It took him a minute to remember where he was, but when he did, he couldn't help but frown a little. Daddy wasn't here. He began to whimper softly to himself. Charlotte, who heard him over the baby monitor, went to the nursery to see what the matter was. When she arrived she saw Mokuba sitting up in the crib, looking sad. Charlotte went over and picked him up.

"What's the matter, sweetie?" She asked gently. Mokuba let out a small whine and hugged her. "You don't want to be by yourself?" She asked. Mokuba nodded. "How about I sit with you? Sound good?" He nodded again and she sat him on her lap. He stayed quiet for a few minutes, sucking on his pacifier, when he took it out to ask her a question.

"Auntie Charlotte?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's it like to have a Mommy?"

Although she was surprised by his question it didn't register on her face.

"That's a good question." She said, trying to figure out how to explain it. "Picture everything your Daddy does for you: he loves you, changes you, dresses you, and works very hard to give those things to you. Mommies do the same things. The only difference is that Mommies are girls. Does that help?"

"I guess so. I wish I had a Mommy, but I just have my Daddy."

Charlotte recalled Seto telling her that he and Mokuba had been brothers before the adoption. He had mentioned something about their parents dying young, and being adopted by Gozaburo, but she got the feeling he didn't want to talk about it, so she hadn't pushed the issue.

"There's never been anyone else?" She pressed. Mokuba looked up at her curiously.

"No. Why?" He asked.

"No reason." She said a bit too quickly. She got lucky that Kobe woke up right then and let him out of the crib so the two boys could play together while she snuck out of the room to make a call.

Seto Kaiba had spent most of the time Mokuba was gone being interviewed by police about what had happened to him. As much as he hated reliving those times and as exhausting as it was going over every little detail, he did it all without complaint because he wanted to see both of those snakes go to prison for a long time. He had only found out that Pegasus had disappeared there. When he got the news it had sent him into a flying rage. However, it didn't last too long because he was exhausted. The officers had taken statements from him and Yugi and his friends before finally leaving him alone. Right when he was beginning to relax, his cell phone rang. He was about to say something snippy out of irritation when he saw that it was Charlotte calling.

"Hello?"

"Seto? It's Charlotte."

"Hello Charlotte. Is everything alright?"

"Yes." She said, but didn't sound so sure. "Mokuba's completely fine, he and Kobe are playing in the nursery now, but he said something to me that I thought you might need to hear."

"What?" Asked Seto, genuinely surprised.

"You both were brothers before the adoption, correct?"

"Yes."

"And although your parents died you were eventually adopted by Gozaburo, right?"

"Yes. Get to the point."

"Mokuba asked me a question about having a mother. When I answered him, he told me it was just the two of you and that it had always been that way. I asked him if there had ever been anyone else and he said no. I don't mean to alarm you, but I really thought you ought to know." For a moment Kaiba was too stunned to say anything.

"It's alright. You were absolutely right. This was something I really needed to know. I appreciate you calling me. If he says anything else about this please let me know."

"Of course."

They spoke a few short minutes more before Charlotte hung up.

Seto set down his phone and tried to absorb this new information. Something had happened to Mokuba. But what? He pressed the call nurse button and asked to see a doctor. When the doctor arrived he explained everything that had happened to his son in the past all the way up to a few days ago. The doctor himself had seen a bit of Mokuba's catatonic state himself. When Seto asked what could have possibly happened to him, he was met with silence and his doctor's unreadable expression. The doctor moved to sit down beside him, and Seto's heart skipped a beat. That was never good.

"Well Mr. Kaiba, there's only one thing I can think of to explain your son's condition, though I caution you: you may not like what you hear."

Seto didn't realize that he was unconsciously preparing himself for the worst. "Just give it to me straight."

"Mr. Kaiba, when I was a young man I studied psychiatry while I was getting my medical degree. At the time I thought I wanted to be a mental health professional, but as you can see I eventually chose this field instead. While I was in school, there came reports of a new disorder called False Memory Syndrome. In many cases it happened to survivors of sexual abuse, but could happen to anyone. False Memory Syndrome is defined as a condition in which a person's identity and interpersonal relationships center on a memory of a traumatic experience that is objectively false but that the person strongly believes. Mr. Kaiba, I believe that your son developed this disorder in response to his recent trauma. You were the only constant throughout his life, so he saw you as a parent long before you saw yourself that way. And since you're now legally his father, it makes sense that this would develop now. If you want him to recover his memories you can take him to a therapist. But... There's always the other option."

"Thank you, Doctor." The doctor nodded his head in one fast, jerky bob, and then left the room, leaving Kaiba to his thoughts.

Mokuba had completely altered and forgotten his past. Kaiba wished he was that lucky. But the more he thought about it, the more he thought that this was his chance to leave the past behind for good. In that moment he made a decision. He was going to put the past behind him forever. It didn't matter where he'd been- all that mattered was where he was now. He wouldn't let his past hold him on the ground. He would break free from all of it and make sure that his future was bright.


	50. Endgame

Kaiba spent much of that day in bed. One might say he spent it relaxing, but his mind was far too active for him to be truly calm. He longed for the sweet embrace of sleep, but every time he tried to fall asleep his mind kept emitting a low signal to keep him awake. The things that were on his mind would not leave him be. He couldn't help the low hum of guilt that now coated his thoughts.

Although he knew in his heart that leaving the past behind would be a good thing for his son, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Although their parents had long since died, they had been a part of Mokuba's world at one point. It didn't sit right with him that he would never remember these two people who had given him life. As much as he wanted to drop the subject and let it be, it kept popping up in his head over and over again. He tried drowning it out with TV or driving it away with a book, but it was no use. The thoughts were incessantly nagging at him, and he knew he had to find some sort of middle ground now so that he could have a chance to make a game plan before his son arrived back at his bedside. Suddenly, he was struck with a brilliant idea. All at once his nerves faded, and his mind was at peace once more. He was finally able to fall asleep.

Mokuba and Kobe ran downstairs when Charlotte called for dinner. Both boys enjoyed a delivered pizza before running back to the nursery to play together. They were in the middle of trying to save their block city from the evil dragon when they heard the doorbell ring and they froze. Charlotte got up and answered the door, not noticing the two boys poking their heads around the corner. "May I help you?" She said to the man dressed in a dapper suit.

"Ma'am, my name is Roland and Mr. Kaiba asked me to bring you this." He said, holding out a duffel bag.

"Alright. Thank you very much." She said. He nodded before disappearing into the night.

Charlotte shut the door and Mokuba came running around the corner. She smiled and handed him the bag. It had his pajamas, toothbrush and toothpaste, a few of his favorite bedtime stuffed animals, and a storybook or two. He ran back to the nursery and got into his pajamas. Together they played for a few more hours before Charlotte came in to tell them it was time for bed. She read them both a story and then let Mokuba call his father to say goodnight. When he was done he curled up under the covers and went to sleep.

The next morning Mokuba woke up eager to see his Daddy again. Charlotte made them bacon and eggs with sausage and toast for breakfast. Mokuba was practically jumping up and down in his seat. Kobe however was much more solemn. He was sad to see his friend go after all the fun they'd had the night before. But he didn't say anything. Mokuba rushed to get dressed and pack up his things so that he could go and see his father. When they finally got in the car Mokuba was radiating joy and energy. He could hardly wait to see his father. When they got to the hospital he ran straight for his Daddy's room.

"Daddy!" He squealed happily as he jumped into his waiting arms. Seto gave him a kiss as his son snuggled into him.

"Hey buddy. Did you have fun with Kobe and Auntie Charlotte?"

"Yeah! We had pizza for dinner and we played together and she made breakfast and..." He babbled on while Seto listened to him gladly. He saw Charlotte and Kobe in the doorway and mouthed a "thank you" to them.

"Go say bye bye to Auntie Charlotte and Kobe." He said. Mokuba ran to them and hugged them.

"Thank you." He said politely.

Charlotte smiled. "It was our pleasure. Anytime you need us, we'll be there." She took her son's hand and took him home. Meanwhile, Mokuba curled up next to his Daddy.

"Mokie?" He asked quietly.

"Huh?"

"Do you want to hear a story?"

"Yeah!"

"How about I tell you about your grandma and grandpa?"

Mokuba nodded, eyes wide.

"This is the story of how they met. It was twenty years ago in late December. A young woman was going to a Christmas dance when a young man asked to dance with her. They were together all night, and the next day he called to ask her on their first official date. Neither of them were very well off, but they made do with things that didn't cost money. Right after their first date, he knew he'd found the right one. So he started saving up for a ring, and he proposed to her two years later. They got married a year after that, and one year later, they had me. They were such good people. Always laughing and smiling together. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have known how to take care of you."

Mokuba listened to the story in awe and snuggled up with his Daddy.

"Do you think you'll ever find that one person?" He asked, genuinely curious.

Seto smiled in amusement. "It would take someone pretty special to wow me."

"Yeah. Even if you don't find someone, you always have me."

Seto's grin widened. "Yes. Yes I do. And that makes me the luckiest Daddy in the world."

As Seto laid there cuddling his child, he reflected on how lucky he was to have such an incredible little boy to call his son. He couldn't believe the turn his life had taken and how every hurdle had made their relationship stronger. They were father and son now, and that would never change. And to think it had all started with a couple accidents.

 **Author's Note: OH MY GOD GUYS FIFTY CHAPTERS! I Can't believe that this story is finally done! It's insanely bittersweet to say goodbye to a story that took over a month or so of my life. This story has become the longest multichapter fic in my history, and has surpassed my most favorited and followed story in terms of reviews. Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story- especially Dark Yugi, Pharoh Atem, and SB-129. Your constant reviews helped shape this story into what it was. You all proved to me that a few voices that love a story drown out the haters. I thank you for that. Thank you to everyone who read this far, and keep your eyes peeled for a possible sequel in the future!**

 **With Love,**

 **Holly**


End file.
